SitÃÂtapatrà(Sanskrit: "White Parasol") is a bodhisattva and protector against supernatural danger in Buddhism. She is venerated in both the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. She is also known as Usnisasitatapatra or Uá¹£á¹Âëṣa SitÃÂtapatrÃÂ. It is believed that SitÃÂtapatràis a powerful independent deity emanated by Gautama Buddha from his Uá¹£á¹Âëṣa. Whoever practices her mantra will be reborn in AmitÃÂbha's pure land of SukhÃÂvatë as well as gaining protection against supernatural danger and witchcraft.
Her name is composed of sita ("white") and ÃÂtapatrÃÂ ("parasol" or "umbrella").
There are several different forms of Sitatapatra including: with one face and two arms; with three faces and six arms; with three faces and eight arms; with three faces and ten arms; with five faces and ten arms; and, with 1000 faces, 1000 arms and 1000 legs.
à ½§à ½±à ½´à ½¾à ¼Âà ½Âà ¼Âà ½Âà ¼Âà ½§à ½±à ½´à ½¾à ¼Âà ½Âà ½²à ¼Âà ½¦à ¾Âà ½±à ½§à ½±à ¼ Hum ma ma hum ni svaha
The à Âà «raá¹ gama Mantra of the à Âà «raá¹ gama Sà «tra is the most commonly practiced mantra invoking her. According to Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, the "Great White Umbrella" is a sÃÂdhanàfor healing illness, dispelling interferences and spirit possession, quelling disasters, and bringing . To do practice in full requires a kriyÃÂtantra abhiá¹£eka of SitÃÂtapatràfor the Vajrayana practitioners. The dhÃÂraá¹Âë "ÃÂrya-tathÃÂgatoá¹£á¹Âëṣa-sitÃÂtapatrÃÂparÃÂjita-mahÃÂpratyaá¹ girÃÂparama-siddhÃÂ-nÃÂma-dhÃÂraá¹Âë" (English: "The Noble DhÃÂraá¹Âë of SitÃÂtapatràBorn from the TathÃÂgataâÂÂs Uá¹£á¹Âëṣa, Great Dispeller of Invincible Might and Supreme Accomplishment") is a common action tantra practice of SitÃÂtapatrÃÂ.
SitÃÂtapatràis one of the most complex Vajrayana goddesses. According to Miranda Shaw in the Buddhist Goddesses of India, SitÃÂtapatràemerged from Buddha's uá¹£á¹Âëṣa when he was in the TrÃÂyastriá¹Âà Âa heaven. The Buddha announced her role to "cut asunder completely all malignant demons, to cut asunder all the spells of others...to turn aside all enemies and dangers and hatred." SitÃÂtapatrÃÂ's benign and beautiful form belies her ferocity as she is a "fierce, terrifying goddess, garlanded by flames, a pulverizer of enemies and demons."
In the Mahayana Sitatapatra Sutra, she is called AparÃÂjita "Undefeatable, Unconquerable" and is also identified as a form of goddess TÃÂrÃÂ.
In other sutras, she is regarded as a female counterpart to Avalokiteà Âvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Like him, SitÃÂtapatràmanifests in many elaborate forms: having a thousand faces, arms and legs, or simply as a feminine deity of great beauty. Known foremost for her "white parasol" she is most frequently attributed with the "golden wheel". The auspiciousness of the turning of the dharma wheel is symbolic of Buddhism, both in its teachings and realizations.
Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhist often recite her a Sino rendering of her Sanskrit title (Maha, meaning "great") SitÃÂtapatrà(Ma Ha Tất ÃÂát ÃÂa Bát ÃÂát Ra æ©訶æÂÂæÂÂå¤Âç¼½æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ) as a protection mantra, often alongside a starting Om and then svaha but sometimes just the name by itself.