Shri Devi

Erdene Zuu Museum

The ‘Glorious Goddess’ Śrī Devī, one of the ten wrathful deities, rides her mule across a swirling ocean of blood, amidst a maelstrom of wind and fiery sparks. She is dark blue, with a vajra-sealed red sandalwood club in her right hand and a blood-filled skull cup in her left. There is a corpse in her mouth; a lion leaps from her right ear and a snake darts from her left. The sun blazes from her navel, the moon adorns her hair and above her head floats a canopy of peacock feathers. Wearing a grey mantle, a tiger-skin skirt and snake belt, she is adorned with a garland of severed heads together with bone and jewel ornaments. Her mule has an eye in its rump and its bridle is made of poisonous snakes. She sits on a flayed human skin and holds her five magical weapons. A tally stick of curses is tucked into her belt, together with a pair of divination dice, a sack of contagious diseases, a bundle of curses and a ball of thread. The mule is led by Makaravaktrā and followed by Siṃhavaktrā. At the top left is Je Tsongkhapa and at the top right is the Fifth Bogd. Both are flanked by disciples. At the bottom left is Mahālakṣmī, semi-wrathful in appearance, and at the bottom right is the brown wrathful deity Ekajaṭā. In the background is a delightful landscape, painted in subtle shades of blue and green. The artist has included blossoming flowers, birds, animals and wrathful offerings.