Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

DDB Top Page 
 
 
  XML source

降三世明王

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: conqueror of the three worlds

Senses:

  • Trailokya-vijaya; also translated as 'three world victor'  降三世明, 勝三世 and 'conqueror of the three worlds'  降三世. [Note: This deity is also known as Vajrahūṃkara (Ch. Jingang houjialuo 金剛吽迦羅)—see next definition]. According to Yixingʼs 一行 commentary on the Mahāvairocana sūtra 大毘盧遮那成佛經疏, Treloka-vijayaḥ is associated with the unhindered power 大自在力 and/or virtue to eradicate the obstructions in the three worlds caused by delusions such as the three poisons of desire, anger and ignorance.

    In the garbhadhātu maṇḍala 現圖胎藏界曼荼羅, Jiangsanshi and Shengsanshi are depicted separately as two individual deities whereas the Mahāvairocana sūtra and Yixingʼs commentary conflate the two names and switch back and forth between the two to refer to Trailokya-vijaya. Instructions for the execution of the image of the two-armed Shengsanshi can be found in the Mahāvairocana sūtra, whereas instructions for depicting the eight-armed Jiangsanshi image are delineated in other ritual texts. According to the instructions found in the Mahāvairocana sūtra, Trailokya-vijaya is to be surrounded by a violent flame, wearing a treasure crown and holding a vajra. In the garbhadhātu maṇḍala, his body is bluish-black and he wears a treasure crown with flame-like hair standing up above the crown; he has three wrathful eyes and two fangs that stick out of his mouth; in his right hand he is holding a three-pronged vajra-spear and in his left a three-pronged (sometimes five-pronged) vajra; he is seated on a massive rock or sometimes a lotus pedestal situated inside a flame. [Mikkyō Daijiten] (Skt. trailokyavijaya) 〔大毘盧遮那佛眼修行儀軌 T 981.19.411b20

    [Amanda Goodman]
  • As Vajrahūṃkara, he is a wrathful figure in the Court of the *Vidyādhara 持明院 in the Garbhadhātu maṇḍala 胎藏界曼荼羅 in which he is separate from the related Trailokyavijaya 勝三世明王. Blue-black in color 靑黑色. Three-faced, each with three eyes. Eight arms. The first pair of hands are in the mudrā of conquering the three times 降三世印. His other left hands hold a bow, rope and three-pronged lance 三鈷戟. His other right hands hold an arrow, sword and five-pronged bell 五鈷鈴. He is seated on a red lotus. Seed syllable: hūṃ. Mudrā: conquering the three times mudrā 降三世印. Mantra: oṃ śumbha niśumbha hūṃ gṛhṇa gṛhṇa hūṃ gṛhṇāpaya hūṃ ānaya hoḥ bhagavan vajra hūṃ phaṭ. Vajrasattva is said to have transformed himself into Vajrahūṃkara to subjugate Mahêśvara 大自在天 and his consort Umā 烏摩, who represent the three poisons 三毒. The two feet of Vajrahūṃkara represent dhyāna 禪定 and wisdom 智慧.

    References:

    Somekawa, Eisuke, Michihiko Komine, Tenyū Koyama, Hisao Takahashi, and Takayuki Hirosawa. 1993. Mandara zuten曼荼羅図典 . Tokyo:  Daihōrinkaku.

    [Jeffrey Kotyk]
  • Search SAT
  • Search INBUDS Database

  • Feedback

    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 310

    Bulgyo sajeon 921a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 249

    Fo Guang Dictionary 3986

    Ding Fubao

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)1046b,2617a,4499a, (v.9-10)496a,906b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 222-2



    Entry created: 2001-07-15

    Updated: 2016-06-20