South Asia: Pala Sculpture and Painting
Artist: unknown
Title: Nairatma
Material: stone
Site: Bihar, India
Current Location:
Period/Date: Ca. early 10th century
Iconography/Iconology: Nairatma is the prajna of the Adi Buddha
Hevajra, and as so, manifests the female component/prajna/sunyata of
the enlightenment equation. Her nudity is an overt display of sexuality.
The desire associate with sexuality is transmuted into the desire for enlightenment.
She is seen dancing on a corpse in a sea of flame, which is the cremation
fire that destroys all ego attachments.
Stylistic Comments: The style of such pieces is entirely iconographically
driven, and the artist has very little leeway in which to develop new or
alternate statements. Because of its esoteric nature these images of tantric
deities were seldom made in durable materials. Thus this image is among
the very rare examples of the type.
