Description
The wrathful deity Mahakala supports followers of the Buddhist teachings, warding off external threats to their well-being and helping them overcome internal obstacles to their spiritual goals. With his curved knife, he destroys forces such as ignorance and hatred, impediments to enlightenment that are symbolized by the blood that fills his skull cup. The five skulls in his crown symbolize the transformation of the five mental afflictions (delusion, hatred, pride, desire, and jealousy) into the five types of wisdom belonging to a Buddha. His garland of severed heads—understood to consist of fifty heads, regardless of the number represented—relates to the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet (the language of many Buddhist texts) and symbolizes the pure speech of a Buddha.
Artists created this remarkable sculpture by hammering sheets of metal to form the body and attaching hands, feet, and ears cast from molds. Within the shrine for which it was most likely made, Mahakala's gilded body would have glimmered in flickering candlelight, enhancing his dramatic features.
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