Lords of the Charnel Ground, Smashana Adipati

FRONTThese skeleton lords of the charnel ground are animated by ecstatic dance and laughter, their festive demeanor expressing the joy of being free from attachment. They are brother and sister, and the male and female figures can be distinguished only by their garlands and attributes. The male sports a garland of freshly severed heads and holds a skeleton club and a skull bowl. The female, in contrast, wears a garland of dried skulls and holds a staff and a golden vase. They support the practice of the deity Chakrasamvara and are revered as powerful protectors.BACKThe text on this work, written on cloth and attached to the piece, begins with the specific mantra of the lords of the charnel ground and then evokes the protective function of the couple:“Eliminate misery from harmful spirits, fire, water, and lightning, the perseverance of ill-will, robbery, thievery, and harmful underground and earth spirits; in short protect from outer, inner, and secret adverse conditions from today until attaining great awakening.”