Tathagata Akshobhya and the Vajra Kula: Studies on the Iconography of the Akshobhya Family, with For

Tathagata Akshobhya and the Vajra-kula’ deals with the iconography of Tathagata Akshobhya and the deities belonging to his family known as the ‘Vajra-kula’. The book has four chapters, the first of which deals with the sources and brief history of the emergence of Vajrayana. It also describes the methods by which the images of Dhyani-Buddhas can be differentiated from those of the Buddha, as invariably the representations from both the groups appear to be the same, thereby causing confusion. Iconographical features of the Tathagata Akshobhya, his Prajna Mamaki and the Bodhisattvas, belonging to the Vajra-kula, are discussed in the second chapter. The third chapter describes the various male deities, and the Prajnas are described in the fourth chapter. In the two appendices are included the Mandala of Akshobhya, as given in the Nishpannayogavali and the various forms of Akshobhya, as described in various Mahayanist texts. The work is based on the study of original Mahayana texts. It is a profusedly documented work with seventy-two photographic illustration. The work should be of immense value to all those interested in the study of Indian religion and art, especially that of the Tantric Buddhism.