Unknown
The Mahasiddha (Great Adept) Chandragomin12th century

On view:

Resnick Pavilion, floor 1

Dark gray stone relief stele with a large seated central figure on a lotus pedestal, surrounded by three smaller figures in niches within a pointed arch frame

Stone relief stele depicting a seated male figure in a relaxed cross-legged pose, bare-chested with a bead necklace and draped lower garment, set within an arched niche with a halo behind the head. Smaller attendant figures occupy niches at upper left and right, with a deity figure at the apex. Lotus petal border at base, with an inscribed band in an Indic script. Finely carved gray stone with traces of pigment.

Dark gray stone stele with high-relief carving of a deity figure in the foreground wearing a bead necklace, surrounded by a circular halo. Two smaller seated figures occupy niches on either side, and a carved architectural motif with figures crowns the arched top. Scrolling foliage borders the frame.

Stone relief carving of a seated figure in crossed-leg pose on a lotus pedestal, wearing a beaded necklace and draped cloth, with architectural and foliate details in the background; a line of Devanagari script appears along the lower edge.

Close-up of a dark stone pedestal base with double rows of carved lotus petals, a scrolling vine border above, and an inscribed line of South or Southeast Asian script along the lower edge.

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: The Mahasiddha (Great Adept) Chandragomin
Place Made: Bangladesh
Date Made: 12th century
Medium: Black schist
Dimensions: 23 1/4 x 11 1/2 x 5 in. (59.06 x 29.21 x 12.7 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Paul F. Walter
Accession Number: AC1992.208.2
Classification: Sculpture
Collecting Area: South and Southeast Asian Art
Curatorial Notes: Chandragomin (circa 600-650) was a Buddhist practitioner and lay scholar who lived in eastern Bengal. Tibetan sources record that he engaged in a renowned years-long theological debate with the revered scholar Chandrakirti (circa 600-670) at Nalanda Monastic University in Bihar. Chandragomin was a devotee of the Buddhist goddess of compassion, Tara, who according to legend created an island in the Ganges River to save him from drowning.

Chandragomin is nimbate and has a shorn head, elongated earlobes, and a sectarian marking on his forehead. He wears a loincloth rather than a monk’s robe, and the Brahmanical sacred thread (yajnopavita) worn over his left shoulder. He is enthroned on a double lotus pedestal and sits in the "posture of perfection" (siddha asana) often used for teachers, with his right knee supported by a meditation band (yoga banda). His right hand is now missing, but may have originally held a rosary. At the apex of the sculpture is a now-damaged figure of the goddess Tara. Flanking her at the corners of the stele are two meditating ascetics with long hair who may be mahasiddhas. The one on the left sits under a tree, while the other on the right is seated in a mountain cave. Diminutive donor figures kneel on either side of the lotus base. The one on the left is male and holds his hands in the gesture of adoration (anjali mudra). The one on the right is female and holds her long ponytail in her hands.

The dedicatory inscription in corrupt Sanskrit on the base reads, This image is the gift of a lady called Alasi. (Translation by Gouriswar Bhattacharya.)
Selected Bibliography: Little, Stephen, Tushara Bindu Gude, Karina Romero Blanco, Silvia Seligson, Marco Antonio Karam. Las Huellas de Buda. Ciudad de México : Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2018.
Little, Stephen, and Tushara Bindu Gude. Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art across Asia. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2025.

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