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Paripacaka Tara, the Ripener [13/21]
Tara “who brings to ripeness” is among the most wrathful aspects of Tara, with the power to subdue every difficulty and obstruction.
JigmeSep 17, 2024
Identity. Wisdom. Passion.
SonMani curates, translates, and brings you essays on Vietnamese tradition, history, and art.
JigmeSep 26, 2024
Paripurana Tara, the Perfecter [21/21]
Tara “supreme and wholly perfect” is beautiful, half-wrathful and white, her three wide eyes signifying the three doors of liberation.
JigmeSep 25, 2024
Siddhisambhava Tara, Source of Attainments [20/21]
Tara “the wellspring of realisation” appears peaceful and orange in colour, with the power to heal every kind of infectious bodily disease.
JigmeSep 24, 2024
Duhkhadahana Tara, Consumer of Suffering [19/21]
Tara “who consumes suffering” appears peaceful and wholly white, with the power to pacify nightmares and free beings from captivity.
JigmeSep 23, 2024
Vijaya Tara, the Victorious [18/21]
Tara “the victorious” appears peaceful and white, with one face, two eyes and four arms, seated upon a goose.
JigmeSep 22, 2024
Sukhasadhana Tara, Accomplisher of Bliss [17/21]
Tara “who perfects great bliss” appears peaceful and orange in colour, with one face, two eyes and two arms, seated upon a golden sun disc.
JigmeSep 21, 2024
Raganisudana Tara, Destroyer of All Attachments [16/21]
Tara “who destroys every attachment” is beautiful and slightly fierce, coral-red in colour, with one face, three eyes and two arms.
JigmeSep 19, 2024
Mahashanti Tara, the Great Peaceful [15/21]
Tara “of great peace”, also called Kalyanada Tara, “she who bestows virtue”, purifies every defiling emotion.
JigmeSep 18, 2024
Bhrikuti Tara, the Frowning [14/21]
Tara “the wrathful” is also called Calad-Bhrikuti Tara, “Tara of the trembling frown”, the second of Tara’s most wrathful aspects.
JigmeSep 17, 2024
Paripacaka Tara, the Ripener [13/21]
Tara “who brings to ripeness” is among the most wrathful aspects of Tara, with the power to subdue every difficulty and obstruction.
JigmeSep 16, 2024
Mangalavabhasa Tara of Auspicious Light [12/21]
Tara “who radiates auspicious light” is also known as she “who bestows prosperity”. She sits upon a white moon disc and a lotus of many colours.
JigmeSep 15, 2024
Jagadvasi Tara, Who Summons All Beings [11/21]
Tara “who summons all beings” is also called Apadanasini, she “who drives off misfortune”, or Vipannirbarhana.
JigmeSep 14, 2024
Shokavinodana Tara, Who Dispels All Sorrows [10/21]
Tara “who dispels every sorrow” appears beautiful and peaceful, red as ruby or coral, with one face, two eyes and four arms.
JigmeSep 13, 2024
Khadiravani Tara, or Varada Tara [9/21]
In the Suryagupta tradition either Khadiravani Tara or Varada Tara may stand as the ninth of the twenty-one forms.
JigmeSep 12, 2024
Vashitottamada Tara, Who Bestows Supreme Powers [8/21]
Tara “who bestows supreme attainment” destroys the maras that obstruct enlightenment and overcomes every wrong view.
JigmeSep 11, 2024
Vadipramardani Tara, Who Crushes All Adversaries [7/21]
Tara “who crushes every obstruction” appears in a fierce form, four-armed, wholly black, her wrathful face with two glaring eyes.
JigmeSep 10, 2024
Trailokyavijaya Tara, Victorious over the Three Worlds [6/21]
Tara “victorious throughout the three worlds”, with the power to purify the negativity of every elemental force in the ten directions.
JigmeSep 08, 2024
Humsvaranadini Tara, Proclaiming the Sound of HUM [5/21]
Tara “who proclaims the sound of the seed-syllable HUM”, with the power to subjugate obstruction and free beings from every fear.
JigmeSep 07, 2024
Ushnishavijaya Tara, Victorious Crown of the Tathagatas [4/21]
Tara of the “victorious (vijaya) crown protuberance (ushnisha) of the Tathagatas”, one of the twenty-one forms of Tara.
JigmeSep 06, 2024
Kanakavarna Tara, the Golden-Coloured [3/21]
Tara “golden in colour” has one face, two eyes and ten arms — signifying the ten perfected paramitas.
JigmeSep 04, 2024
Chandrakanti Tara, White as the Autumn Moon [2/21]
Tara “white as the full autumn moon” takes her name from the moonstone (Skt. chandrakanta), the gem that stands for the moon among the nine planets.
JigmeSep 04, 2024
Pravira Tara, the Heroine [1/21]
Tara “the valiant” is described as emanating like a blazing mass of fire, seated upon her lotus within a triangular, fire-wreathed dharmodaya.
JigmeSep 02, 2024
21 Manifestations of Tara
Five main traditions depict the twenty-one Taras: Suryagupta, Atisha, Sadhana-samucchaya, Longchen Nyingtig and Chogyur Lingpa.
JigmeSep 01, 2024
Tara, The Divine Saviouress
Tara is a deity of compassion, carrying beings “across the ocean of samsara to the shore of liberation”.