Khatvanga – Ritual tantric staff
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ABR 075

 Code: ABR 075

  Country: Sino Tibetan

  Style: Ming Dynasty - Yongle Period

  Date: 1403 - 1424

  Dimensions in cm WxHxD: 43.8

  Materials: Iron with silver overlay

Khatvanga – The tantric staff

The khatvanga or tantric staff is one of the charnel grounds’ artefacts. It finds its origin in India among the Shaiva practitioners. As the attribute of Hindu god Shiva, it is surmounted by a trident, not a vajra. The khatvanga can be the attribute of deities (dakiniyidam, protectors…) as well as human tantric masters, such as Padmasambhava. When held in the crook of the arm of a male or female deity, it symbolizes the deity’s mystical partner or consort in a hidden form.

The upper section shows successively a lotus, a double-crossed vajra, a long-life vase topped by three stacked heads and, at the top, a half-vajra. From bottom to top, the three severed heads are described as fresh, decaying, and dried up, symbolizing respectively the three bodies of the Buddhas: the body of manifestation, the body of perfect rapture, and the absolute body. The half-vajra at the top represents the five wisdoms.