Worldly Protector deity – Drogdze Wangma

Drogdze Wangmo protector deity was popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries by the Mindrolling Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Drogdze Wangmo is the avowed protector as worldly deities. Worldly Deities have been sworn by an oath to protect both the teachings of the Buddha and his followers.

Drogdze Wangmo is known as the Powerful Friend in English. Drogdze Wangmo is also known as the Nyingma protector of the Terma Tradition.

The iconography of the Drogdze Wangmo

In the iconography of Drogdze Wangmo, we are going to learn about her body posture, hand and leg gesture, and different representations of Drogdze Wangmo in thangka and statue.

Posture of Drogdze Wangmo

Drogdze Wangmo has one Mother who is Mistress of the Three Realms. Drogdze Wangmo is with a body maroon in color. Drogdze Wangmo is ferocious and frightful in appearance with one face and two hands.

In the right, Drogdze Wangmo is eating the heart of an enemy, blood dripping and warm. Reflecting the Three Realms the left holds a mirror. Drogdze Wangmo is wearing an upper garment of white silk, a tiger skin lower garment, and a fresh human skin cloak.

Drogdze Wangmo has dark brown hair hanging downward, earrings, a crown of five dry skulls, and a necklace of fifty fresh. She is wearing a garland of bones and a long necklace. Drogdze Wangmo is standing haughtily with the left leg extended.

Drogdze Wangmo is very wrathful and maroon in color. She has one face and two hands, three round eyes and bared fangs. The right-hand of Drogdze Wangmo holds a heart up to the mouth. And the left hand of Drogdze Wangmo upraised holds a mirror.

Drogdze Wangmo is adorned with a tiara of five skulls, bone earrings, necklace, bracelets, anklets, and a long necklace of severed heads. Drogdze Wangmo wears an upper robe of elephant skin and a lower skirt of tiger skin. Drogdze Wangmo is standing with the right leg bent.

And the left leg of  Drogdze Wangmo is straight above a corpse and sun disc atop a variously colored lotus flower. Drogdze Wangmo is surrounded by the flames of wisdom fire. Drogdze Wangmo is an homage to the yogini Drogdze Wangmo.

Depicting Drogdze Wangmo Thangka

The thangka of Drogdze Wangmo is from Tibet. The thangka of Drogdze Wangmo is made between 1600 – 1699 AD. Drogdze Wangmo is from Nyingma lineage. The size of the painting is 24.13×17.78cm. The base of the painting is the Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton. Drogdze Wangmo is from a private collection.

By depicting this thangka, we will learn about the presentation of Drogdze Wangmo with Four Attendant Dakinis.

Four Attendant Dakinis

Four Attendant Dakinis is at the upper left and right and below of Drogdze Wangmo in the thangka. Four Attendant Dakinis are yellow, red, white, and blue in color. Each Dakinis is in the same appearance as the Lord Mistress. Each Dakinis are holding a heart and mirror. Owner of all charnel ground places, baneful Mistress of local protectors, and Dakas, with unsurpassed power of prescience and magical emanation.

Drogdze Wangmo with Padmasambhava Thangka

The thangka of Drogdze Wangmo with Padmasambhava is from Tibet. It is made in between 1800 – 1899 AD. Drogdze Wangmo with Padmasambhava is from Nyingma lineage. the size of the painting is 43.82×29.21cm. Ground Mineral Pigment and Fine Gold Line on Cotton is used to color this painting. Presently, this painting is in the Rubin Museum of Art.

By depicting this thangka, we will learn about the presentation of Drogdze Wangmo with different deities such as Yellow  Dakini, Red Dakini, and Katvanga, etc.

Drogdze Wangmo is fearsome and wrathful. Drogdze Wangmo has maroon in color. Drogdze Wangmo has one face and two hands, three glaring round eyes, and a gaping mouth with bared fangs.

Drogdze Wangmo is surrounded by the wild orange flames of pristine awareness she dwells in front of an ornate skull palace. Drogdze Wangmo is placed before her as an offering a red triangle torma is arranged in a large white skullcup with two smaller skull bowls to the sides. Drogdze Wangmo is encircled by four attendants.

Above, seated in a sphere Padmasambhava performs a wrathful gesture while holding vajra with the right hand, and in the left held to the side is a nectar-filled skullcup. Padmasambhava is supporting a katvanga staff against the shoulder. Padmasambhava is attired in the usual robes he wears a lotus hat.

Yellow Dakini

Yellow Dakini is on the left of the thangka. Yellow Dakini is holding a heart and mirror attired the same as the Lord Mistress. Dakini is dancing on a corpse surrounded by flame.

Red Dakini

Red Dakini is on the right of the thangka.

Katvanga

katvanga on the left of the thangka. He is standing above a corpse and surrounded by flame.

Drogdze Wangmo with Terdag Lingpa Thangka

The thangka of Drogdze Wangmo with Terdag Lingpa is from Tibet. It is made between 1700 – 1799 AD. Drogdze Wangmo with Terdag Lingpa is from Nyingma and Buddhist lineage. The base of the painting is Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton. Presently, this painting is in the Rubin Museum of Art.

By depicting this thangka, we are going to learn about Drogdze Wangmo.

Drogdze Wangmo is seated at the top left in typical appearance is Padmasambhava. At the top right of the thangka, there is the presence of the Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje with the typical lotus hat with a white beard and holding a ‘terma’ casket in the left hand.

In most situations the protectors were formerly daemons bent on inflicting harm, having been subdued by great teachers such as Padmasambhava. They now serve the altruistic interests of Buddhist ideals. A small inscription is written on the reverse of the thangka. At the bottom states that the handprint is that of Terdag Lingpa Gyurme Dorje.

Drogdze Wangmo with Yellow Dakini Thangka

The thangka of Drogdze Wangpo with Yellow Dakini is from eastern Tibet. it is made in between 1800 – 1899 AD. Drogdze Wangpo with Yellow Dakini is from Nyingma lineage. The base of the painting is  Ground Mineral Pigment on Cotton. Drogzde Wangpo with Yellow Dakini is from a private collection.

By depicting this thangka, we will learn about the presentation of Drogdze Wangmo with White and Green Dakini, Krodha Kali Vajrayogini

Drogdze Wangmo is also known as Mistress of the Charnel Grounds.  Drogdze Wangmo is also called the Nyingma protector of the Terma Tradition. Drogdze Wangmo is the Owner of all charnel ground places, baneful Mistress of local protectors and Dakas, with unsurpassed power of prescience and magical emanation.

Drogdze Wangmo is encircled by four attendants.  At the upper left of the thangka, there is the presence of the is a yellow Dakini. Yellow Dakini is holding a heart and mirror attired the same as the Lord Mistress.

Yellow Dakini is also dancing on a corpse surrounded by flame. To the upper right of the thangka, there is the presence of the red Dakini.

White and Green Dakini

White Dakini is at the lower left of the thangka. And Green Dakini is at the lower right of the thangka.

Krodha Kali Vajrayogini

Krodha Kali Vajrayogini is at the top center of the thangka.  Krodha Kali Vajrayogini is known as a black wrathful meditational deity.  Krodha Kali Vajrayogini is seated at the left side are Padmasambhava and Trisong Detsen.