Chakrasamvara

By Jit Majumdar

wheel of union
wheel of perfect bliss; supreme bliss of the wheel
a meditational deity or iśţa-deva of the Anuttara Tantra (Highest Yoga) class of Vajrayāna Buddhism. Also called Heruka, and regarded as a manifestation of Buddha Śākyamuņi, symbolizing enlightenment through the blissful union of compassion (himself) and wisdom (his consort). He is typically depicted standing upright in the pratyālīdha (left leg forward) posture, with the female deity Kālarātri and the male deity Bhairava, who represent nirvāņa (salvation) and sańsāra (life) respectively – symbolizing the transcendence of these two extremes. He is depicted with a dark blue complexion, three eyes, four faces, an intense expression, and twelve arms holding various ritual objects, wearing a garland of human skulls, a crown featuring 16 spires, embracing his consort Vajravārāhī in the yuganaddha or yab-yum position;
a Vajrayāna Tantric text about the same deity, also known as Śrīherukābhidhāna and Laghusamvara, and as Korlo Demchog Gyud, khor lo sdom pa or bde mchog gi rgyud in Tibetan, composed in northern India in the late 8th / early 9th century, and is one of the most important texts of the Mother Tantra categories of texts.

Contributors to this article