Sitātapatrā is one of the most complex Vajrayana goddesses. According to
Miranda Shaw in the
Buddhist Goddesses of India, Sitātapatrā emerged from Buddha's uṣṇīṣa when he was in the
Trāyastriṃśa 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." Sitātapatrā'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
Aparājita "Undefeatable, Unconquerable" and is also identified as a form of goddess
Tārā. In other sutras, she is regarded as a female counterpart to
Avalokiteśvara, the
bodhisattva of compassion. Like him, Sitātapatrā manifests 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") Sitātapatrā (Ma Ha Tất Đát Đa Bát Đát Ra 摩訶悉怛多缽怛囉) as a protection mantra, often alongside a starting Om and then svaha but sometimes just the name by itself. == See also ==