Description
Embodying Fierce Protection: The Mahakala Bernakchen Statue
This Mahakala Bernakchen Statue of Protection stands 14 inches (35.5 cm) high upon a 10.25-inch (26 cm) base and weighs 5.47 kg. Carefully handcrafted by skilled Nepali artisans, the sculpture is formed from a substantial copper body and enriched with traditional gold and acrylic painting. The contrasting finishes bring greater depth and definition to the deity’s fierce expression, ritual implements, elaborate ornaments, flame-like hair, and enveloping cloak. Every sculpted contour reflects the precision and patience associated with traditional Himalayan metal artistry. Its considerable weight, commanding scale, and dramatic composition make it a powerful centerpiece for a Buddhist altar, protector shrine, meditation room, or carefully curated collection of sacred Himalayan sculpture.
Bernakchen, known as the Black-Cloaked Mahakala, is portrayed with one wrathful face, three bulging eyes, a gaping mouth with bared fangs, and hair, eyebrows, and facial hair rising upward like flames. His raised right hand holds a curved flaying knife with a vajra handle, while his left hand supports a skull cup close to his heart. He wears a crown of five skulls, a garland of severed heads, ornamental jewelry, and the great black cloak that distinguishes this form of Mahakala. Revered as a special protector of the Karma Kagyu tradition and the Karmapa lineage, Bernakchen represents fierce enlightened activity directed toward removing obstacles and safeguarding the Buddhist teachings and those who practice them. His formidable appearance is therefore not an expression of ordinary anger, but a visual manifestation of uncompromising protective power.
Size: 14”/35.5cm (Height) x 10.25”/26cm (Base)
Weight: 5.47 kg
Material: Copper Body, Gold and Acrylic Painting
Mahakala Bernakchen, 'The Black Cloak,' is a wrathful emanation of Vajrapani, revered in Tibetan Buddhism as a principal protector of the Dharma, particularly associated with the Shangpa Kagyu tradition. His role is to guard spiritual practice, remove obstacles, and overcome inner and outer negative forces that hinder enlightenment. He symbolizes the vigorous energy required to achieve spiritual purification and liberation.
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