Tara
Tara, also known as Jetsun Dölma, is a Tibetan Buddhist goddess. In Mahayana Buddhism, she is a female bodhisattva, and in Vajrayana Buddhism, she is a female Buddha. She is known as the "Mother of Liberation" and is associated with compassion, protection, and enlightened wisdom. Tara is believed to have arisen from the compassionate tears of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, in the Buddhist tradition. According to tradition, Avalokiteshvara was moved by the suffering of beings in the world and shed tears of compassion in response. Tara was born from these tears to assist in easing the suffering of sentient beings.
Following are some popular forms of Tara:
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Sitatara: She is also called White Tara and is depicted with two arms, three eyes, and a white complexion. She is seated on a white lotus. She is the goddess of compassion, healing, and serenity.
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Shyamatara: Also called Green Tara, she is regarded to be the original Tara and is the female consort of Amoghasiddhi, one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas. She is shown seated on a lotus with her right leg hanging down and holding a blue lotus.
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Cintamani Tara: She is a form of Tara, portrayed in green complexion and often related to Green Tara. She is shown seated on a lotus with her right leg hanging down and two blue lotuses one over each shoulder.
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Ekajati/ Mahacanatara: She is a fierce form and a protector goddess. She is also known as Blue Tara and Ugra Tara. She is depicted in dark blue skin and has up to twelve heads and two or twenty-four arms, carrying tantric attributes. Her right foot is shown upon a corpse. She is adorned with a skull garland and tiger skin. She is frequently shown with only one breast and, at times, only one leg. She is encircled by flames symbolising wisdom. Ugratara has been incorporated into the Hindu pantheon under the name of Tara as one of the ten Mahavidy goddesses.
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Vajra Tara: She is the goddess who protects from magic. Vajra Tara is depicted in the Vajravali Collection of Mandalas. She have four faces and eight hands. Her main face is yellow, and she also has black, red, and white faces, each with three eyes. She holds a vajra, an arrow, and a conch in her right hand and makes a supremely generous gesture. She has a utpala flower, a bow, a hook, and a wrathful gesture in her left hand, as well as a lasso. Her face alternates between smiling and furious. She is seated in the Vajrayana pose.
Twenty-One Tara
Tara is often grouped into 21 fundamental forms, each with its own hue and attributes. Based on this, there are major six distinct systems for the various sets of Twenty-one Taras. Many famous goddesses have been included among the 21 Taras in Buddhist traditions. They are:
Suryagupta Tradition
The list in the Suryagupta Tradition was composed by the Indian scholar Vajrasana of Bodhgaya in the 11th century. The list is iconographically complex, depicting the 21 Taras with different colors, attributes, number of heads and arms, posture, and hand gestures. Green Tara is considered the primary Tara.
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Pravira Tara: Her skin is red, and she has eight arms. Above her head, her first pair of hands are brought together holding a vajra and a bell. Her other hands are holding an arrow, bow, wheel, conch, sword, and noose. She appears serene and peaceful as she sits on a Vajra-paryanka seat.
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Chandra Kanti Tara: She has a white complexion with three white, blue, and yellow faces, as well as twelve arms. The first set of hands in meditative gesture; the other right hands holds a khatvanga, wheel, gemstone, vajra, and flower garland; the other left hands holds a water pot, utpala, bell, flask, and manuscript.
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Kanaka Vana Tara: She has ten arms and a yellow complexion. Her right hand is holding a rosary, sword, arrow, vajra, and staff, while her left hand is holding a silk ribbon, noose, lotus, bell, and bow.
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Usnisa Vijaya Tara: She has a yellow complexion and four arms, with the right in Varada Mudra and carrying a rosary, and the left holding a water pot and a club. She is in a sattva-paryanka posture.
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Hum Svara Nadini Tara: She has a yellow complexion and two arms, one in Varada mudra and the other holding a yellow lotus.
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Trilokya Vijaya Tara: She has a red complexion and four arms, the right holding a vajra and a sword, the left holding a noose and frightening forefinger gesture. She is sitting in the sattva-paryanka position.
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Vadi Pramardani Tara: She is depicted in a fierce form and has a dark complexion, flowing hair, and four arms. The right hand is holding a wheel and a sword, the left a lotus with a vajra, and the other is making a threatening forefinger sign. She is shown with her left leg outstretched.
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Mara Sudana Vasitottama Da Tara: She has four arms and a yellow complexion. Her upper hands holds an Asoka tree branch and a lotus, while her lower hand holds a gemstone and a vase. She is sitting in the Ardha-Priyanka Lalita posture.
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Varada Tara: She has four arms and a red complexion. Her first pair of hands are brought together over her head, grasping a vajra and a bell. The other two hands are in apan mudra and holding an Asoka tree branch.
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Soka Vinodana Tara: She has four arms and a red complexion. Her first pair of hands are brought together over her head, palms folded. The other two hands are clutching a sword and an Asoka tree branch with a scarlet bloom.
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Jag Vasi Vipan Nirbarhana Tara: She has a dark complexion, a fierce form, and two hands. Her right hand holds a hook, while her left is holding a noose. She is depicted with her right leg outstretched.
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Kalyana Da Tara or Manga Laloka Tara: She has eight arms and a yellow complexion. The right hands holds a trident, hook, vajra, and sword, while the left holds a jewel close to her heart, a hook, a club, and a flask.
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Pari Pacaka Tara: She exhibited a fierce appearance, a red complexion, and four arms. Her right hands holds a sword and an arrow, and her left hands carries a wheel and a bow. She is depicted with her right leg outstretched.
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Bhrkuti Tara: She has a ferocious appearance with a blue complexion and three faces, black, white, and red, all clenched in frowns and consuming human intestines in their mouths. She has six arms, with the right clutching a sword, a hook, and a club, and the left holding a skull, a noose, and the head of Brahma. She wears a crown and a long necklace of human heads, as well as tiger skin and snakes.
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Maha Shanti Tara: She has six hands and a white skin. Her right hands holds a rosary and a club, and one hand in Varada mudra, while her left hands holds a lotus, a water pot, and a scripture.
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Raga Nisudana Tara: She has a crimson complexion and two hands, one at her heart holding a trident and the other with a tree with flowers and fruit on her raised forefinger. She is seated in sattva-paryanka.
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Sukha Sadhana Tara: She has an orange complexion and two hands holding a moon-disk near her heart. She is seated in a sattva-paryanka posture.
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Sita Vijaya Tara: She has four arms, the upper hands joined near her head and gripping a hook, the other hand in Varada mudra, and one holding a book on a flower. She has a white complexion and appears sitting on a white lotus or a goose.
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Jag Vasi Vipan Nirbarhana Tara: She has a white complexion and is holding a brazier in her two hands at her heart. She appears sitting with her right leg slightly extended.
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Siddhi Sambhava Tara: She has a white complexion and three eyes that are wrathful. Her right hand is holding a trident spear, and her left is holding a pearl rosary. She is dressed in a tiger-skin loincloth and is in an Ardha-Priyanka posture.
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Paripurana Tara: She has a white complexion, three eyes, and two hands holding a trident and a rosary. She appears sitting on an ox.
Chandragomin tradition
The 21 Taras are depicted in a similar appearance with the same sitting posture and two arms but with different facial expressions and complexion. Each of the individual Tara carries different attributes on the top of a lotus in their left hand and the right hand in varada mudra.
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Nyurma Pamo: She has a crimson complexion and a semi-wrathful countenance. A white conch shell spirals clockwise over her utpala flower.
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Loter Yang Chenma: Also called Vajra Saraswati, she has a calm expression and a fair complexion. A clear mirror with the phrase HRIM is mounted on her utpala flower.
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Sermo Sönam Tobkyé: Her face is serene, and her skin is golden. A wish-fulfilling diamond sits atop her utpala flower.
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Tsugtor Namgyalma: Also called Ushnishaviyaya, her face is serene, and her skin is golden. A vase of immortality sits atop her utpala flower.
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Rigjé Lhamo: Also called Kurukulla, her complexion is red and her face is semi-warthful. A bow and arrow rest on her utpala flower.
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Jigjé Chenmo: Her face is wrathful, and her skin is dark red. A phurba rests on her utpala flower.
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Zhengyi Mitubma: Her face is wrathful, and her skin is back. A sword blazing with fire rests on her utpala flower.
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Zhen Migyalwa’i Pamo: Her face is wrathful, and her skin is dark red. A vajra rests on her utpala flower.
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Sengdeng Nag: Her face is peaceful, and her skin is blue-green. A dharma wheel rests on her utpala flower.
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Jigten Sumlé Gyalma: Her face is peaceful, and her skin is red. A dhvaja (victory banner) rests on her utpala flower.
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Norterma: Her face is semi-wrathful, and her skin is golden-red. A vase of treasure rests on her utpala flower.
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Tashi Dönjé Ma: Her face is peaceful, and her skin is golden. An Ashtamangala (endless knot) rests on her utpala flower.
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Yullay Gyaljé: Her face is semi-wrathful with three eyes and her skin is red. A vajra with open ends rests on her utpala flower.
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Tronyer Chenma: Her face is wrathful and her skin is black. A pestle rests on her utpala flower.
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Rabzhima: Her face is peaceful and her skin is white. A vase of nectar rests on her utpala flower.
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Rig Ngag Tobzhom: Her face is peaceful and her skin is red. A crossed vajra rests on her utpala flower.
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Pagmé Nönma: Her face is peaceful and her skin is golden. A stupa rests on her utpala flower.
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Maja Chenmo: Her face is peaceful and her skin is white. A full moon rests on her utpala flower.
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Dugkarmo: Her face is peaceful and her skin is white. An umbrella rests on her utpala flower.
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Ritrö Loma Gyönma: Her face is peaceful and her skin is saffron. A spheroidal vessel of nectar rests on her utpala flower.
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Lhamo Özer Chenma: Her face is peaceful and her skin is white. Sernya, a pair of golden fish, rests on her utpala flower.
Atisha Tradition
The Atisha system of Taras is the most commonly found in Tibetan painting. The 21 Taras are depicted in the same appearance with the same single face and two arms, in the same sitting posture. The only difference is their complexions. However, Green Tara is not included in the list. There are four red Taras, six white, three yellow, four orange, two maroon, and two black Taras. Each of the individual Taras carries a vase of the same color as the body of the goddess, in the right hand and the left hand carrying a flower that is blossoming over the left shoulder. Some Taras are depicted as slightly fierce, with their open mouth enlarged canine teeth, and furrowed brows above the eyes.
Nyingma terma tradition
This Tradition was popularized by Jigme Lingpa. The list is very similar to the system of the Atisha list with similar depictions of the Taras but of different colors and holding individual devices on top of the lotus in the left hand, rather than vessels.
Chogyur Lingpa Tradition
The characteristic of this system is that the ‘Chogling Tara Removing All Fear’ is the placement of the common Green Tara as the primary Tara.
Sadhana-samucchaya Tradition
The depiction of Taras in this system does not fit into any of the mentioned traditions. The iconography of these Taras are similar to Nyingma terma and Atisha traditions as they are shown seated in the same posture and have a single face but these goddesses don’t carry any attributes in their hand or on the top of the blooming flower.
