Mahachakra Vajrapani

At the center of this textile is Mahachakra, a form of the wrathful deity Vajrapani, who is shown in the crown. The deity has three heads and six arms and can be recognized by the unusual hand gesture he displays at the front of his body and the snake he holds in another pair of hands. The vajra held in his raised right hand is the main identifying feature. The Tibetan characters at the top of the work spell out the mantra “om vajrapani hum.” In the top corners are the deities Yama Dharmaraja (left) and Nairatmya (right).