About the Ten Youthful and Wrathful Attendants
The members of Dorje Shugden’s entourage – the Eight Guiding Monks, the Nine Great Mothers and the Ten Youthful and Wrathful Attendants – are manifestations of his mind. Taking on various appearances and forms, they each perform a specific function in relation to your spiritual path in general and your practice of Dorje Shugden in particular.
The Ten Youthful and Wrathful Attendants help practitioners avert inner and outer obstacles. In particular, they assist sincere disciples in keeping their commitments to their spiritual guides.
Our quality representations are made in strict accordance to the iconography taught by H.E. Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche.
The full set includes:
- Chinese Attendant, representing Yamantaka
- Mongolian Attendant, representing Hayagriva
- Nepali Attendant, representing Aparajita
- Tibetan Attendant, representing Vighnantaka
- Kashmiri Attendant, representing Achala
- Indian Acharya Attendant, representing Takkiraja
- Fanged Yama, representing Niladanda
- Powerful Yama, representing Mahabala
- Khorgyur Lha Trowo, representing Ushnishachakravarti
- Jadong Gyalpo, representing Sumbharaja
1. Chinese Attendant
The first of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Chinese Attendant represents Yamantaka. He appears as a Chinese youth wearing traditional Chinese attire. He holds aloft a sword in his right hand with a wrathful mudra. His right leg is bent upwards and his left leg extends backwards. In front of him, a man bows down in homage. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is below and to the right of the Eight Guiding Monks and represents the right hand of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
2. Mongolian Attendant
The second of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Mongolian Attendant represents Hayagriva. He appears as a Mongolian youth wearing traditional Mongol attire and holds a downturned spear with both hands. His right leg is extended, crushing a vow-breaker who is face down and his left leg is bent upwards. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Chinese Attendant and represents the mouth of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
3. Nepali Attendant
The third of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Nepali Attendant represents Aparajita. He appears as a Nepali youth wearing traditional Nepali attire. He holds a traditional Nepali knife (khukri) with his right hand and holds on to the neck of a vow breaker with his left. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Mongolian Attendant and represents the left hand of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
4. Tibetan Attendant
The fourth of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Tibetan Attendant represents Vighnantaka. He appears as a Tibetan youth wearing a traditional Tibetan nomad's chuba and hat, and he is barefoot. In his right hand he holds a noose by which he holds on to a vow-breaker and in his left hand he holds a drigug (flaying knife) brandished skywards. He appears to be moving to the left and abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Nepali Attendant and represents the secret place of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
5. Kashmiri Attendant
The fifth of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Kashmiri Attendant represents Achala. He appears as a bearded and moustached Kashmiri youth wearing traditional Kashmiri attire. He holds up a long knife in his right hand and with his left, he binds both arms of a vow-breaker at the back with a long noose. His right leg is extended and his left is in a dancing posture. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Tibetan Attendant and represents the right shoulder of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
6. Indian Acharya Attendant
The sixth of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, the Indian Acharya Attendant represents Takkiraja. He appears as an Indian youth wearing the traditional attire of an Indian acharya. He holds aloft a vajra axe in his right hand and a black noose in his left, tied to the neck of a vow-breaker. He appears to be moving to the left and abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Kashmiri Attendant and represents the left shoulder of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
7. Fanged Yama
The seventh of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, Fanged Yama represents Niladanda. He wears a helmet and full armour and holds a lance with both hands piercing a vow-breaker's heart. His right leg is bent and his left is extended. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of the Indian Acharya Attendant and represents the right knee of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
8. Powerful Yama
The eighth of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, Powerful Yama represents Mahabala. His right hand holds a vow-breaker on his lap and his left hand is in the vow-breaker's stomach. Wrathful in appearance, he is jumping with both legs spread wide and abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of Fanged Yama and represents the left knee of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
9. Khorgyur Lha Trowo
The ninth of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, Khorgyur Lha Trowo represents Ushnishachakravarti. He holds a vow-breaker upside down with his left hand and with his right, he pierces the vow-breaker's heart with a lance. He is jumping with both legs spread wide and abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of Powerful Yama and represents the crown of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
10. Jadong Gyalpo
The last of the Ten Wrathful Attendants, Jadong Gyalpo represents Sumbharaja. He wears a human skin on his back and both hands are stretched upwards in a wrathful mudra. He is jumping with his right leg crossed to the left and his left leg is extended backwards. He abides in the midst of gathered fire and wind. In Dorje Shugden's mandala, he is to the left of Khorgyur Lha Trowo and represents the soles of Lama Losang Tubwang Dorje Chang.
