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Citipati (Sanskrit: चितिपति), Chitipati or Shmashana Adhipati is a protector deity or dharmapala in Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism of the Himalayas. It is formed of two skeletal deities, one male and the other female, both dancing wildly with their limbs intertwined inside a halo of flames representing change.[1] The Citipati is said to be one of the 75 forms of Mahakala.[2] Their symbol is meant to represent both the eternal dance of death as well as perfect awareness. They are invoked as wrathful deities, benevolent protectors of fierce appearance. The dance of the Citipati is commemorated twice annually in Tibet.[citation needed]
The citipati should not be confused with the skeleton dancers of the Tibetan Buddhist cham dance tradition.[3]
- ^ "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Androgyny". androgynylist.com.
- ^ Lee Atkinson. "Citipati". godslaidbare.com. Archived from the original on 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
- ^ Chitipati/Shri Shmashana Adhipati (protector) - at Himalayan Art Resources