, Baltimore Manuscript There are many forms of Tārā, including various popular lists of 21 different forms or emanations of Tārā. "Green Tārā" (Skt. śyāmatārā), who is associated with peacefulness and enlightened activity, is the most depicted form of the goddess in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. This is generally considered Tārā's main form, out of which the other twenty one forms arise. One common variation of Green Tārā is known as Khadiravaṇi-Tārā (Tārā of the
acacia forest) and appears in a forest with flowers in her hair while accompanied by her two attendants
Mārīcī and
Ekajaṭā. Another popular form is White Tārā (Sitatārā), often shown with two arms seated on a white lotus and with eyes on her hand and feet, as well as a third eye on her forehead (thus she is also known as "Seven eyed"). She is known for compassion, long life, healing, and serenity. Red forms of Tārā are also quite common, and their main activity is power and enthrallment or magnetizing (Skt. vaśīkaraṇa, the "power to control and subjugate"). Tārā is generally considered to have many forms, all of which are various adaptations to the needs of all living beings. According to Dharmachari Purna: There are numerous lists of "twenty one Tārās" found in Tibetan Buddhism, a tradition which is found in the Indic sources as well, beginning with the tantric
The Praise in Twenty-one Homages (Skt.
Namastāraikaviṃśatistotraguṇahitasahita, in full:
The Praise to Tara with Twenty-One Verses of Homage, and the Excellent Benefits of Reciting the Praise, Derge no. 438). Indian authors like Sūryagupta (a.k.a. Ravigupta, c. 7th–8th century),
Candragomin and
Atisha also wrote texts discussing "twenty one Tārās" and the Tārā lineages of these figures are still found in Tibetan Buddhism. Another different list is found in the Indian
Sadhanamala. These Indian lineages have lists which contain different forms of Tārā. There are also other Tibetan lineages with different lists of twenty one forms of Tārā, including that of
Longchenpa,
Jigme Lingpa and
Choggyur Lingpa.
Nine Tārā mandala Source: The
Tārā Tantra contains a
mandala of nine Tārās, each one is a different color, but all are depicted as young women covered in jewels, with earrings and ornaments. The nine Tārās are: •
Swift Courageous Tārā or
Heroic Tārā (Skt. Tārā Tura-vīrā or Tārā Pravīrā) - red in color "radiating fiery light, [with] one face with two eyes, and eight arms." Her arms hold various weapons like a bow and arrow. This Tārā controls and reverses negative and evil influences, both internal and external influences. •
Tārā White like the Autumn Moon or
Brilliant Moon Tārā (Skt. Tārā Śuklakānti or Tārā Candra-kānti), this is a three faced twelve armed white Tārā with peaceful powers, she is particularly known for the pacification of
defilement and disease. The three faces represent the
trikaya. •
Golden Coloured Tārā (Skt. Tārā Kanaka-varṇī), this ten armed gold Tārā specializes in the activity of increasing: increasing lifespan, resources, and wisdom •
Tārā Crown Jewel the Tathāgatas or
Victorious Crown Jewel Tārā (Skt. Tārā Tathāgatoṣṇīṣā or Tārā
Uṣṇīṣa-vijayā), the
uṣṇīṣa is a protuberance on the Buddha's head, this four armed gold Tārā is known for neutralizing poison, increasing life and preventing premature death. •
Tārā sounding Hūṃ (Skt. Tārā Hūṃ-kāra-nādinī or Tārā Hūṃ-svara-nādinī), slight fierce in countenance and golden color. She is shown stamping her feet, an act that sounds the syllable Hūṃ, which reverses negative influences and draws sentient beings to the Dharma. •
Tārā, Victor Over the Three Worlds (Skt. Tārā
Trailokavijayā), depicted ruby red or reddish black, this Tārā subdues and controls all deities and spirits, including devas like Indra and Agni as well as yakshas. She also purifies obscurations and negativities. •
Destroyer Tārā or
Enemy crusher Tārā (Skt. Tārā Pramardinī or Tārā Apavādi-pramardanī), a fierce black Tārā with a
wrathful looking face holding a sword who is known for subduing dark and demonic forces, external and internal. She is also associated with a
phowa ritual which transfers the mindstream to the pure land at the time of death. •
Mara destroyer Tārā (who bestows excellence) (Skt. Tārā Māra-mardaneśvarī or Tārā Māra-sūdanī-vaśitottama-dā) - a golden colored Tārā with a fierce frown who can destroy the four Maras (death, the defiled
aggregates, the
defilements, and the
Mara the deity) which are the obstacles to awakening. •
Tārā of the Khadira Forest (Skt. Tārā Khadira-vaṇī), a "shining blue-green" Tārā who holds a blue lotus and appears in a lush forest of fragrant
Khadira trees. She is depicted accompanied by
Marici and
Ekajata. She is the principal Tārā in the Sūryagupta tradition. Interestingly enough •
Tārā granter of boons (Skt. Tārā Vara-dā), is sometimes depicted as a red Tārā who grants all precious things to all beings. •
Tārā dispeller of sorrow (Skt. Śoka-vinodana Tārā), a red Tārā who fulfills desires and subjugates evil •
Tārā magnetiser of all beings (dispeller of misfortune) (Skt. Tārā Jagad-vaśī or Tārā Jagad-vaśī-riṣṭa-nirvahaṇī), her power is to increase enjoyments, and wealth, she is the "color of darkness". •
Auspicious light Tārā or
Tārā giver of prosperity (Skt. Tārā Maṅgalālokā or Kalyāna-dā Tārā), a gold Tārā with eight arms and a crescent moon ornament. She gives off a white light for pacifying negativities and a yellow light for increasing goodness. She is sometimes depicted with Amitabha at her crown. •
Tārā who ripens all (Skt. Tārā Paripācakā), a red fierce looking Tārā depicted amid a cosmic fire. She subdues the hindrances and protects from fear and danger. •
Furrowed Brow Tārā, or
Tārā the enthraller of all (Skt. Tārā Bhṛkuṭī or Tārā Vaśīkārī), a dark Tārā with three wrathful faces and a necklace of skulls. She is shown dancing, trampling a corpse and stamping her foot. She destroys all things which interfere with the Dharma and the welfare of sentient beings. •
Great peaceful Tārā (Skt. Tārā Mahā-śānti), a white peaceful Tārā with six arms, associated with happiness, purification and pacification of negative karma •
Tārā destroyer of attachment (Skt. Tārā Rāga-niṣūdanī), a beautiful red Tārā holding a trident who amplifies the power of mantras and removes negative thoughts. •
Tārā who accomplishes bliss (Skt. Tārā Sukha-sādhanī), she is orange and holds a moon disk at her chest. She is known for eliminating dark magic mantras and for binding thieves. •
White victorious Tārā (Skt. Tārā Vijayā or Tārā Sita-vijayā), a white Tārā known for dispelling disease, particularly leprosy •
Tārā consumer of suffering (Skt. Tārā
Duḥkha-dahanī), a white Tārā who eliminates conflict, nightmares, negative thoughts, and poisons. She is also associated with freedom from prison. •
Tārā giver of attainments (Skt. Tārā Siddhi-saṃbhavā) an orange Tārā who grants special powers (siddhis) like invisibility and also heals diseases •
Tārā who perfects all (Skt. Tārā Pari-pūraṇī), a white Tārā sitting on a bull who can take one to the
Pure land of
Akanishta Ferocious Tārā - Tārā of Greater China One notable form of Tārā is the dark Ugra Tārā (Ferocious or Terrible Tara) also known as Mahācīnakrama Tārā (Tib:
gya nag gi rim pa drol ma, Tara in the Tradition of Greater China). This form of Tārā is notable because it was later imported into Hindu tantra from Buddhist sources like the
Sadhanamala and the
Sadhanasamuccaya. Ferocious Tārā is dark / black (nīla) with one face and four arms. She stands on a corpse, and holds a sword, a cutter (kartri), a blue lotus and a skullcup. •
Cintāmaṇi Tārā, a form of Tārā widely practiced at the level of
Highest Yoga Tantra in the
Gelug School of
Tibetan Buddhism, portrayed as green and often conflated with Green Tārā • The Indic deity
Sarasvati (Yangchenma), known for the arts, knowledge and wisdom, is sometimes seen as a form of Tārā •
Kurukullā (Rigjema), a red fierce Buddhist deity associated with magnetizing all good things is sometimes seen as an emanation of Tara •
Sitatapatra Tārā ("White Parasol" Tara), depicted as white with many arms, and is mainly seen as a protector • Golden Prasanna Tārā – a wrathful form, with a necklace of bloody heads and sixteen arms holding an array of weapons and Tantric attributes. • A
yab-yum form in which Green Tara is depicted embracing the Buddha
Amoghasiddhi. •
Yeshe Tsogyal ("Wisdom Lake Queen"), the consort of
Padmasambhava who brought Buddhism to Tibet, is seen as an emanation of Tārā in Tibetan Buddhism. • Rigjay Lhamo, "Goddess Who Brings Forth Awareness", seated in royal posture surrounded by rainbow light. Tārā's iconography such as the lotus also shows resemblance with the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi, and at least one Tibetan liturgy evokes Lakshmi as Tārā. ==Gallery==