Chakrasamvara in Sexual Union with His Consort, Vajravarahi, Leaf from a dispersed Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) Manuscript
Unknown Artist
12th century
Medium
Ink and color on palm leaf
Dimensions
Image: 2 × 21 3/4 in. (5.1 × 55.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
India (Bihar or West Bengal) · Pala period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, 1985
Accession Number
1985.400.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite palm-leaf painting from 12th-century India captures Chakrasamvara, a fierce Tantric Buddhist deity, in sexual union (yab-yum) with his Vajravarahi.ed in vibrant ink and colors, it forms a single leaf from a now-dispersed *Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita*, a key Mahayana Buddhist text extolling the "Perfection Wisdom." Such intimate divine pairings symbolize the inseparable union of wisdom (female) and skillful means (male), guiding practitioners toward enlightenment in Vajrayana traditions. Created during the Pala period (8th–12th centuries) in Bihar or West Bengal, this artwork ...