MahÃÂkÃÂla (, ) is a deity common to Hinduism and Buddhism.
In Buddhism, MahÃÂkÃÂla is regarded as a ("Protector of the Dharma") and a wrathful manifestation of a Buddha, while in Hinduism, MahÃÂkÃÂla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva and the consort of the goddess MahÃÂkÃÂlë; he most prominently appears in the sect of Shaktism.
MahÃÂkÃÂla appears as a protector deity in the various traditions of Vajrayana Buddhism, like Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Shingon, and Tibetan Buddhism. He is known as and () in Mandarin and Cantonese, () in Korean, in Vietnamese, and () in Japanese.
is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi of ' "great" and ' "time/death", which means "beyond time" or death.
means "Great Black One". "Protector" is also used to refer specifically to MahÃÂkÃÂla.
According to , the spouse of MahÃÂkÃÂlë is extremely frightening. MahÃÂkÃÂla has four arms, three eyes and is of the brilliance of 10 million black fires of dissolution, dwells in the midst of eight cremation grounds (à Âmaà ÂÃÂna). He is adorned with eight human skulls, seated on five corpses, holds a trident (), a drum, a sword, and a scythe in his hands. He is adorned with ashes from the cremation ground and surrounded by numbers of loudly shrieking vultures and jackals. At his side is his consort, symbolized as KÃÂlë.
Both MahÃÂkÃÂla and KÃÂlë represent the ultimate destructive power of Brahman and they are not bounded by any rules or regulations. They have the power to dissolve even time and space into themselves, and exist as the Void at the dissolution of the universe. They are responsible for the dissolution of the universe at the end of each kalpa. They are also responsible for annihilating great evils and great demons when other gods, devas, and even Trimurtis fail to do so. MahÃÂkÃÂla and KÃÂlë annihilate men, women, children, animals, the world, and the entire universe without mercy because they are Kala or Time in the personified form, and Time is not bound by anything, and Time does not show mercy, nor does it wait for anything or anyone. In some parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, and Dooars (that is, in eastern Bengal), wild elephants are worshiped as manifestations of MahÃÂkÃÂla.
MahÃÂkÃÂla is typically depicted blue or black in colour. Just as all colours are absorbed and dissolved into black, all names and forms are said to melt into those of MahÃÂkÃÂla, symbolising his all-embracing, comprehensive nature. Black can also represent the total absence of colour, and again in this case it signifies the nature of MahÃÂkÃÂla as ultimate or absolute reality. This principle is known in Sanskrit as , beyond all quality and form, and it is typified by both interpretations.
Mahakala is also known as Mahakala Bhairava in Hinduism, often depicted with four arms and three eyes, he is associated with time, creation, destruction, and power. Many temples in India and Nepal are dedicated solely for Mahakala Bhairava, for example at the temple in Ujjain, which is mentioned more than once by KÃÂlidÃÂsa. The primary temple, place of worship for Mahakala is Ujjain. Mahakala is also a name of one of Shiva's principal attendants (Sanskrit: ), along with Nandi, Shiva's mount and so is often represented outside the main doorway of early Hindu temples.
Numerous traditions of Mahayana Buddhism rely on MahÃÂkÃÂla as a guardian deity (Dharmapala, "dharma protector"). MahÃÂkÃÂla is one of the most popular protector deities in Tibetan Buddhism and he is also sometimes used as a meditational deity (yidam) in tantric Buddhist yogas. He is depicted in a number of variations, each with distinctly different qualities and aspects. He is generally depicted as a wrathful deity.
MahÃÂkÃÂla is commonly regarded as the emanation of different beings in different cases, such as Hevajra, Vajradhara, Amitabha, and Avalokiteshvara or Akshobhya Buddha. Different tantric cycles, like Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara, each contain Mahakala as an emanation of their central Buddha deity.
MahÃÂkÃÂla is almost always depicted with a crown of five skulls, which represent the transmutation of the five kleà ÂÃÂs (negative afflictions) into the five wisdoms. He also wears a garland consisting of fifty severed heads, the number fifty is in reference to the number of letters in the Sanskrit alphabet and is symbolic of the pure speech of Buddha.
MahÃÂkÃÂla is also an important deity in East Asian Buddhism, where he is generally known as a protector figure. In Japanese Buddhism, MahÃÂkÃÂla transformed into a more friendly wealth and luck deity, known as Daikokuten.
In a Mantrayana text translated during the Tang Dynasty, the mantra of MahÃÂkÃÂla appears as:
<blockquote>Oá¹ MahÃÂkÃÂlÃÂya svÃÂhÃÂ.</blockquote>
The same mantra also appears in a Tibetan text from Dunhuang. This mantra (or rather, its Sino-Japanese form: On Makakyaraya sowaka), is the main mantra of this deity in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism.
The two-armed "Black-Cloaked Mahakala" () is a protector of the Karma Kagyu school clad in the cloak of a mÃÂntrika "warlock". His imagery derives from terma of the Nyingma school and was adopted by the Karma Kagyu during the time of Karma Pakshi, 2nd Karmapa Lama. He is often depicted with his consort, Rangjung Gyalmo. He is often thought to be the primary protector, but he is in fact the main protector of the Karmapas specifically. Four-Armed Mahakala is technically the primary protector. Six-Armed Mahakala () is also a common dharmapala in the Kagyu school.
PañjaranÃÂtha Mahakala "Mahakala, Lord of the Tent", an emanation of Mañjuà Ârë, is a protector of the Sakya school.
There are various Four-Armed Mahakalas (Skt. , , "The Great Black Vajra Lord with Four Hands"), one popular depiction comes from the Arya linegae of Guhyasamaja.
These are the primary protectors of the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, Drukpa Lineage and the Nyingma of Tibetan Buddhism. A four-armed Mahakala is also found in the Nyingma school, although the primary protector of the Dzogchen (Skt: Mahasandhi) teachings is Ekajati.
Nyingshuk came from Khyungpo Nenjor, the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu, and spread to all the lineages (Sakya, Nyingma, and Gelug) and to the Kagyu lineages. There are also terma lineages of various forms of Six-Armed Mahakala. Nyinghsuk, though derived from the Shangpa, is not the major Shangpa one; it is in a dancing posture rather than upright, and is a very advanced Mahakala practice.
The White Six-Armed Mahakala (Skt: ; ) is popular among Mongolian Gelugpas.
MahÃÂkÃÂla is mentioned in many Chinese Buddhist texts, although iconographic depictions of him in China were rare during the Tang and Song periods. The deity's name was both transcribed into Chinese characters as (; Middle Chinese (Baxter): ) and translated as (, with kÃÂla being understood to mean 'black'; Baxter: ).
He eventually became the center of a flourishing cult after the 9th century in the kingdoms of Nanzhao and Dali in what is now the province of Yunnan, a region bordering Tibet, where his cult was also widespread. Due to Tibetan influence, his importance further increased during the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, with his likeness being displayed in the imperial palace and in Buddhist temples inside and outside the capital. Mahakala remains a central figure in the minority Buddhist tradition of Azhaliism.
In some texts, MahÃÂkÃÂla is described as a fearsome god, a "demon who steals the vital essence (of people)" and who feeds on flesh and blood, though he is also said to only devour those who committed sins against the Three Jewels of Buddhism.
One story found in the Tang-era monk Yi Xing's commentary on the MahÃÂvairocana Tantra portrays MahÃÂkÃÂla as a manifestation of the buddha Vairocana who subjugated the á¸ÂÃÂkinës, a race of flesh-eating female demons, by swallowing them. MahÃÂkÃÂla released them on the condition that they no longer kill humans, decreeing that they could only eat the heart - believed to contain the vital essence of humans known as 'human yellow' () - of those who were near death. A tale found in Amoghavajra's translation of the Humane King Sà «tra relates how a heterodox (i.e. non-Buddhist) master instructed Prince KalmÃÂá¹£apÃÂda () to offer the heads of a thousand kings to MahÃÂkÃÂla, the "great black god of the graveyard" (), if he wished to ascend the throne of his kingdom.
As time went by, MahÃÂkÃÂla also became seen as a guardian of Buddhist monasteries, especially its kitchens. The monk Yijing, who traveled to Srivijaya and India during the late 7th century, claimed that images of MahÃÂkÃÂla were to be found in the kitchens and porches of Indian Buddhist monasteries, before which offerings of food were made:
In China, the god was also associated with fertility and sexuality: during the Qixi Festival (a.k.a. the Double Seventh Festival) held on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar, married women traditionally bought dolls or figurines called or - the term probably deriving from 'MahÃÂkÃÂla' - in the hopes of giving birth to a child.
Ritual texts also prescribe the worship of MahÃÂkÃÂla to women looking for a male partner or to pregnant women.
In addition, he is also commonly invoked as a protective deity in certain mantras, such as the à Âà «raá¹ gama Mantra and the Mahamayuri-vidyarajñi-dharani contained in the Mahamayuri Vidyarajñi Sutra, which are popular in Chan Buddhism tradition.
The name of the Moheluo doll, a popular toy during the Song and Yuan dynasties, is said derive from transliteration of MahÃÂkÃÂla.
Mahakala (known as Daikokuten ) enjoys an exalted position as a household deity in Japan, as he is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese folklore.
The Japanese also use the symbol of Mahakala as a monogram. The traditional pilgrims climbing the holy Mount Ontake wear tenugui on white Japanese scarves with the Sanskrit seed syllable of Mahakala.
In Japan, this deity is variously considered to be the god of wealth or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is recognised by his wide face, smile, and a flat black hat, in stark contrast to the fierce imagery portrayed in Tibetan Buddhist art. He is often portrayed holding a golden mallet, otherwise known as a magic money mallet, and is seen seated on bales of rice, with mice nearby (mice signify plentiful food).
In Sikhism Mahakal () is used to refer to God. In the text Dasam Granth, which is attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, Mahakal is applied as a name of God to emphasize his supremacy over all beings. In the section titled Bachittar Natak, It states that in a previous incarnation the author was a sadhu meditating in the Himalayan foothills on Mahakal before being called to take birth as Guru Gobind Singh. Further verses the praise Mahakal. Verse 434 of the Chaubis Avtar section states: