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3. Mahasiddha Virupa Tibet 15th century Copper alloy Height: 10 5⁄8 in. (27 cm.) |
The Mahasiddha Virupa, lineage master of the Sakya Order, is one of the most well-represented mahasiddhas in Tibetan art.[1] Here, he is depicted in his most typical posture with left leg folded beneath his round belly, right leg bound near his torso by a yoga-patta, and right hand gesturing to stop the sun. Contorted in anger, Virupa’s face has been cast with features that highlight his contentious nature. His round eyes bulge from beneath furrowed eyebrows, and his mouth is open as if in mid-command. Atop his head, a mass of hair is piled in the stylized knot of an ascetic. The yogi wears only a short dhoti, barely visible beneath the fold of his stomach, and a simple array of jewelry including a floral tiara, hoop earrings, foliate armbands, a single necklace, and a double strand of beads that crisscrosses his body, both front and back. Although not ostentatiously adorned, Virupa’s corpulent form attests to his appetite for earthly delights. In fact, it was his penchant for food and drink that led to the mahasiddha’s expulsion from the monastery of Somapuri where he had achieved the status of enlightenment. Following his departure from Somapuri, Virupa continued to roam the land converting non-believers to Buddhism. Yet, he did not give up his proclivity for liquor. Once, at a tavern in Kanasati, he willed the sun to stop in order that he could continue to drink without paying. It is this specific moment, evident by the presence of certain iconographic elements, which is portrayed by the bronze.[2] The base itself is the most unusual component of the piece. Most often, Virupa sits upon a lotus base, yet here the base has taken an angular form. Around the circumference of the rock-like structure, a pair of lions, flying apsaras and other animals have been carved. One of the apsaras holds the stem of the lotus flower on which the mahasiddha, as a symbol of his enlightened status, rests his right foot. On top of the base, a diminutive vessel-bearing figure stands as if to serve Virupa, and opposite, a kapala is balanced upon a vase. [1] Mahasiddhas or “great attainers” are a group of eighty-four Indian teachers, based on historical or semi-historical figures, who lived between the eighth and twelfth centuries, achieving the final beatitude of Buddhahood in a single lifetime. These monks, although unorthodox in their lifestyles, play a major role in Tibetan Buddhism as teachers, scholars, magicians and links between humanity and the divine. See Linrothe (2006), p. 302. [2] Ibid. No other mahasiddha is depicted in the same variety of poses, each related to a specific narrative episode, as Virupa. Among the multiple forms in which he has been portrayed, the present is most popular. |