White Mahakala / Swet Mahakala

Wealth Form Of Mahakala

Shadbhuja Sita Mahakala, (Tibetan: pal gon po kar po yi shin nor bu chag drug pa. English: the Glorious Wish-fulfilling Jewel, White Lord with Six Hands) is the emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

White in color with a reddish tinge, wrathful in appearance, he has one face with three round glaring eyes, a gaping mouth and orange hair flowing upward. With six hands the first pair holds a wish-fulfilling jewel and a skull cup containing a vase filled with jewels, the second a curved knife and trident held upraised and third a damaru drum and hook extended to the sides. Adorned with a crown of jewels and gold, earrings, necklaces and bracelets, he wears green and blue scarves across the shoulders and blue-red silks as a skirt. Atop the two prone figures of the elephant headed Ganesh, orange sun disc and multi-colored lotus flower, he stands surrounded by a wreath of orange pristine awareness fire emblazoned with green and blue wishing jewels.

"Homage to Lord Cintamani. Holy Avalokiteshvara, the gathered compassion of all buddhas of the ten directions and three times; to that emanation, the Six Handed Protector, devotedly with body, speech and mind I bow." (Common liturgical verse).

White Mahakala is the wealth aspect of the wrathful protector Shadbhuja Mahakala. Arising from the Kriya class of Tantra, the practice is popular in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.