Powerful Palden Lhamo
Palden Lhamo (Main figure)
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(Top to bottom): Guru Rinpoche, Lama Tsongkhapa, Palden Lhamo, Nechung and Dorje Shugden.
The fearsome Palden Lhamo or Shri Devi in Sanskrit, is widely believed to be an emanation of Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom. She was originally part of the entourage of Mahakala but became a powerful protectoress in her own right. She is considered the principle protectress of the incarnations of the Dalai Lamas and is also considered to be a State Dharma Protector, alongside Nechung.
Palden Lhamo as worshipped within the Gelug tradition is also known as Magzor Gyalmo or the ‘Queen who Repels Armies’. According to the old lore, she was originally married to the cruel King of Lanka who persecuted Buddhists. The queen vowed that if she failed to convert the king to Buddhism, she would put an end to his dynasty. She tried many times to convert him but failed each time and the king even raised their son to kill Buddhists. She was enraged and with no recourse, she slaughtered her son while her husband was out hunting to fulfil the vow she had taken to end his dynasty if she was left with no other choice.
Palden Lhamo escaped on a mule as the king returned and discovered what had happened. He chased her and shot the rump of the mule she was riding. However, using her supernatural abilities she was able to heal the mule and in the wound’s place appeared a wild and glaring eye. It was then that she declared, “May the wound of my mount become an eye large enough to watch over the twenty-four regions, and may I myself be the one to eliminate the lineage of the malignant kings of Lanka!”
After making the vow, she travelled north through India and Tibet, through China to Mongolia and settled somewhere in Siberia. She eventually became the fearsome protectress of the Dharma that we know today. Her retinue of powerful assistants includes the Lion-headed dakini Simhamukha behind her and the Makara-headed (water monster) dakini Makaravaktra in front of Palden Lhamo, holding the reins of the mule.
With regards to Nechung, there is much talk about him being at odds with Dorje Shugden. However, this conflicts with the fact that Nechung was the one who requested Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen (1374-1434 CE), Lama Tsongkhapa’s foremost disciple, to arise as a Dharma protector. He was also the one to create the right conditions for Dulzin’s later incarnation, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen (1619–1656 CE) to arise as the swift and wrathful Dorje Shugden. Therefore, Nechung cannot be at odds with Dorje Shugden because he was instrumental in the circumstances that led to Dorje Shugden arising as the protector of our time. If Nechung was really at odds with other Dharma protectors this would actually showcase his childish behaviour and would not be befitting of his eminent position as a Dharma protector or even one of Tibet’s State Protectors.
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Beautiful art thangka of Palden Lhamo,Guru Rinpoche, Lama Tsongkhapa, Nechung and Dorje Shugden. Palden Lhamo is a protecting Dharmapala of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is the wrathful deity considered to be the be an emanation of Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom. Interesting story of this fearsome and powerful protector.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.
An emanation of Sarawati, I knew Palden Lhamo or Shri Devi “is considered the principle protectress of the incarnations of the Dalai Lamas and is also considered to be a State Dharma Protector, alongside Nechung” but I was not aware she originally was part of Mahakala’s entourage. Her backstory is sad, and a bit gruesome. I was also not aware that in her retinue is the powerful Lion-headed Dakini Simhamukha. I learned two things today. Thank you blog team and your Eminence Tsem Rinpoche for this short blog post about Palden Lhamo.