大黑天

Mahākāla 摩訶迦 (or 謌) 羅 the great black (sa) deva 大黑神. Two interpretations are given. The esoteric cult describes the (sa) deva as the masculine form of Kālī, i.e. Durgā, the wife of Śiva; with one face and eight arms, or three faces and six arms, a necklace of skulls, etc. He is worshipped as giving warlike power, and fierceness; said also to be an incarnation of Vairocana for the purpose of destroying the demons; and is described as 大時 the "great time"　(-keeper) which seems to indicate Vairocana, the sun. The exoteric cult interprets him as a beneficent (sa) deva, a Pluto, or god of wealth. Consequently he is represented in two forms, by the one school as a fierce (sa) deva, by the other as a kindly happy (sa) deva. He is shown as one of the eight fierce guardians with trident, generally blue-black but sometimes white; he may have two elephants underfoot. Six arms and hands hold jewel, skull cup, chopper, drum, trident, elephant-goad. He is the tutelary god of Mongolian Buddhism. Six forms of Mahākāla are noted:

(1) 比丘大黑 A black-faced disciple of the Buddha, said to be the Buddha as Mahādeva in a previous incarnation, now guardian of the refectory.

(2) 摩訶迦羅大黑女 Kālī, the wife of Śiva.

(3) 王子迦羅大黑 The son of Śiva.

(4) 真陀大黑 Cintāmaṇi, with the talismanic pearl, symbol of bestowing fortune.

(5) 夜叉大黑 Subduer of demons.

(6) 摩迦羅大黑 Mahākāla, who carries a bag on his back and holds a hammer in his right hand. J., Daikoku; M., Yeke-gara; T., Nag-po c'en-po.