- Title
- The Jina Buddha Ratnasambhava (top), Goddess Mahasitavati or Mahamayuri (middle), Goddess Mahasahasrapramardini (bottom), Three Folios from a Pancharaksha (Five Protections)
- Date Made
- early 13th century
- Medium
- Opaque watercolor and ink on paper
- Dimensions
- Image: 2 5/8 x 6 1/2 in. (6.67 x 16.51 cm) each; Sheet: 2 5/8 x 16 1/2 in. (6.67 x 41.91 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.72.1.25a-c
- Collecting Area
- South and Southeast Asian Art
- Curatorial Notes
The Pancharaksha (Five Protections) is a Vajrayana Buddhist text particularly revered in Nepal that presents five incantations against worldly harm. By the 11th century, the incantations were personified as the five dharani (that which supports) protective goddesses. They are also considered to be protective emanations of the Jina Buddhas who can be invoked against specific illnesses and dangers. The goddesses and their specific protections are as follows:
Mahapratisara, protection against illnesses and evils.
Mahasahasrapramardini, protection against demons.
Mahamayuri, protection against serpents
Mahasitavati, protection against vicious animals and dangerous insects.
Mahamantranusarini, protection against diseases.
The three folios from this dispersed manuscript illustrate the Jina Buddha Ratnasambhava (M.72.1.25a), Mahasitavati or Mahamayuri (M.72.1.25b), and Mahasahasrapramardini (M.72.1.25c).
- Selected Bibliography
- Keene, Bryan C., editor. Toward a Global Middle Ages: Encountering the World Through Illuminated Manuscripts. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2019.
- Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.
