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Māravijaya attitude is an attitude of Buddha in Thai art of which the seated Buddha is putting his hand in the relax posture towards to the ground, loosely holding his knee. The other hand is on his lap. His eyes, sometimes closed, look down to the ground. The gesture of the hand reaching the ground is called bhumisparshamudra, which also refers to the attitude as well. The gesture refers to the episode which the Buddha calling the earth to witness.
The attitude refers to the episode that he was reaching the enlightenment and being disturbed by maras. Learning that the maras asked him to give up, he touched the ground and called the Phra Mae Thorani to help him fight with the maras.[1] Thoranee called tonnes of water and flooded away the maras. The episode results in the name Mara Vichai which means the "Victory (vichai) over the Mara". The Māravijaya seated Buddha is considered the common attitude for principal Buddha in ubosots of Khmer, Lao and Thai wats and Burmese kyaungs.[citation needed]
The Dakkhinasakha style of the Buddha in Burmese art features the Buddha in the Māravijaya attitude.
- ^ "Seated Buddha in". The Walters Art Museum • Works of Art.