Significance of 21 Tara Goddess Forms

Goddess Tara is an important goddess in Hinduism and Buddhism. However, her significance and roles in either are a little different.

Tara is a female Bodhisattva in Buddhism., which means that she is an enlightened being who has chosen to undergo the cycle of birth and death (samsara) to help human beings attain enlightenment.

 Tara is a wise and empathetic goddess. In her sympathy for the suffering of all beings, she embodies enlightenment.

 She is very responsive to requests for help from human beings. Her wisdom gives her the power to provide direction and service to those in need.

 Origins of Tara

The first appearance of Tara in the world came from Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. From the sky, he would look out for people in trouble.

For eons, his chief meditation was to reflect on the sufferings of all creatures. He was always willing to help the needy.

 On finding that despite all his efforts, pain and suffering prevailed, he felt heartache and wept. His tears fell on earth, and it formed a lake.

A pale lotus flower bloomed on this lake, and a princess with a light green body appeared on the lotus. She had jade green eyelids and beautiful blue eyes, identical to the lotus from which she emerged.

 Another story claims that during the time of Buddha Dundubhi Svara, there was a princess called ‘Moon of wisdom-knowledge,’ who made daily offerings to the Buddha and the monks.

 In time, she experienced Bodhicitta, the wish for enlightenment to help all beings. Some monks told her to dedicate her merit to being reborn as a man, as the male form was considered more enlightened. But she replied that gender distinctions were not important. Instead, she made a vow to work for the benefit of all beings in a woman’s body.

 She remained in deep meditation for 10 million years, thereby releasing millions of beings from their misery. Since then, she manifested her enlightenment in the form of Goddess Tara.

 Tara is the most powerful goddess in the Buddhist pantheon. In Sanskrit, ‘Tara’ means “star.” Supposedly, she guides followers on their spiritual path like a star. In some northern Buddhist traditions, she is often described as the female consort of the most revered bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara.

 In Himalayan regions like Nepal and Tibet, Tara is a supreme goddess or female Buddha rather than a bodhisattva. She is the Wisdom Goddess, the Goddess of Universal Compassion, the Embodiment of Perfected Wisdom, and the Mother of all Buddhas.

 Tara’s Iconography

She is often depicted as sitting on a lotus throne in a regal and compassionate posture. The “pose of royal ease” (lalitasana), is typical of bodhisattvas such as Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Maitreya, are usually depicted in lalitasana (pose of royal ease) - sitting in the lotus position, with the right leg hanging down over the lotus’ edge, or in a bent position, with the knee up and foot flat on the earth. But, in Tara’s case, her right foot is usually shown resting on a smaller lotus. It does not seem that she is relaxing. Instead, she looks ready to swing into action if her followers need her help.

 Tara appears in 21 forms and in five different colors in Himalayan representations. Green Tara (a Chinese princess in Buddhist legend) and White Tara (a Nepalese princess) are the most common. Green Tara is linked to enlightened activity and active compassion. She is the form from which all the other forms emanate. Her lotus is usually a blue or night lotus, which releases its fragrance with the moon’s appearance. So, Tara is also associated with the moon and the night. As Green Tara, people also associate her with fertility and the growth of plants, flowers, and trees.

 White Tara has associations with healing and maternal compassion. In many depictions, one can see eyes in the palms of her hands, the soles of her feet, and the center of her forehead. They represent her ability to see all those who are suffering. Practices that enable one to increase one’s lifespan for the purpose of continuing the practice of Dharma and to achieve spiritual progress are associated with White Tara.

 In Buddhist history, female practitioners were told that in order to attain enlightenment they had to be reborn as a man. This would help them attain full spiritual liberation. Tara’s presence in the Buddhist pantheon, both as a bodhisattva and as a female Buddha, brings inclusivity and the hope of spiritual salvation to female practitioners. Goddess Tara’s serenity comes with perfected wisdom, grace, and compassion.

 Twenty–one forms of Tara 

1.The Heroic Tara

As per the 21 Praises of Tara, the first Tara is Tara Dharani :

She has 8 arms and a red color.

Sits on a yellow lotus and moon emanating a mass fire

The first pair of hands join at her crown and hold a vajra and a bell

The second pair holds an arrow and a bow

The third holds a wheel and a couch, and the fourth a sword and noose. 

2.Moonlight White Tara

This Tara offers to heal diseases.

She is very white in color, sits on a lotus on the moon disk, and has a very complicated iconography with 3 heads (blue, white, and yellow from right to left) and 12 arms.

The first pair of hands are in the pose of contemplation

The other right-hand holds a khatvanga (trident), a wheel, a jewel, a vajra, and a garland of flowers.

The left-hand holds a lotus, a water pot, a bell, a flask (occasionally a treasure vase), and a book. 

3.Golden Tara

The third Tara can help prolong life by boosting health. 

She is yellow or gold in color and sits on a lotus and the sun disk.

She has 1 face and 10 arms— her right hand holds a sword, an arrow, a vajra, a staff, and a rosary, and the left holds a snake, a lotus, a bell, a bow, and a lasso. 

4.Golden Tara of Crown Victorious

The 4th Tara has 4 arms, gold color, and is similar to the third Tara. The 4th Tara boosts one’s lifespan. 

She sits on a yellow lotus and moon disk with a regal pose. She has 1 head, displays Varada mudra, and holds a rosary in her right-hand. In her left hand are a vase and a club. 

5.Tara Proclaiming the Sound of HUM

The 5th Tara suppresses adversity. Proclaiming the sound of ‘hum,’ she summons the 3 worlds together. 

She is yellow in color, sits on a lotus and a moon disk with 1head and 2 arms. The right-hand offers refuge and the left hand holds a yellow lotus, depicting the Tri ratna mudra. 

6.Tara Victorious over the 3 Levels of the World

The 6th Tara purifies obscuration and negativity. She is four-armed, with a ruby red or reddish-black color.

 She sits on a red lotus and sun; on the right side, the first hand holds a vajra, while the second holds a sword. On the left side, the first hand shows a threatening forefinger, and the second holds a noose. 

7.Tara Who Crushes Adversaries

This form is wrathful and has a Ruby Black color and 4 arms. 

She can destroy obstacles and obscurations.

She sits on a yellow lotus and sun, wears yellow garments, and has fierce expressions, upward-streaming hair, and Pratyalidha posture.

She has 1 head and 4 arms—on the right-hand side, she holds a sword and a wheel.

In the left hand, she holds a vajra lotus (sometimes with a noose above the yoni), and the other shows a threatening forefinger. 

8.Tara, Who Gives Supreme Spiritual Power

This Tara is the destroyer of Maras (Demons) and enemies. She has 4 arms and a yellow or golden color.

 She sits on a red lotus, moon, and sea monster stacked together, with 1 face and 4 arms.

The forehands hold an Ashoka tree and a lotus; the other two pairs grant boons and hold a gem and flask.  

9.Tara Granter of Boons

She bestows both common and supreme attainments. 

She is red in color with 4 arms and sits on a red lotus and moon.

The foreright hand snaps its fingers, dancing, while the left holds a branch of an Ashoka tree that rains jewels on sentient beings.

The other 2 hands hold vajra and bell, making a gesture of joy on the crown of her head.

10.Tara Who Dispels All Suffering

She protects devotees against the distraction of worldly activities and removes all sufferings. She is the conqueror of three worlds.

 She is ruby-red in color, and sits on a red lotus and moon with 4 arms.

The first pair of hands on her crown display Namaskar mudra; her other hands hold a sword and branch of an Ashoka tree bearing red flowers.

11.Tara, Who Summons All Beings and Removes Misfortune

She helps her devotees to gain more enjoyment and wealth while removing poverty.

 She is the color of darkness, wears a fierce expression, and has 2 arms.

She holds a hook that can summon the 8 planets; her left hand holds a hook that dispels misfortunes with a noose.

12.Tara, Who Grants Prosperity and Creates Auspicious Circumstances

She radiates white light from her crown to remove suffering and yellow light to increase wealth. She has a yellow color and eight arms.

 She sits on a poly lotus and moon; her right-hand side holds a trident, a hook, a vajra, and a sword. The left-hand side holds a jewel pressed to her heart, a club, a hook, and a flask.

13.Tara, the Complete Ripener

She is red in color, has 4 arms on a red lotus, and is surrounded by fire. She can subdue hindrance.

 In her right hand, she holds a sword and an arrow; in her left hand, she holds a wheel and bow.

14.Wrathful, Shaking, and Frowning Tara

Her name is Tro Nyer, which means “frowning and wrathful.” She has a blue color.

 She has 3 heads, white, black, and red color, with 6 arms, and sits on an orange lotus, sun disk, and a corpse seat on a stack.

She holds a sword, a hook, a club, a skull, a noose, and Brahma’s head.

She wears a crown and a long necklace of human heads and tiger and snakeskin.

She can remove hindrances to boost the Dharma to the happiness of sentient beings.

15.Tara, the Great Peaceful One Who Bestows Virtues and Goodness

She can pacify negative karma.

 She is white in color, sits on a white lotus, and has six arms; in her right hand, she holds a rosary, Varada mudra, and a club.

In her left-hand, she holds a lotus, a waterpot, and a book.

16.Tara Destroyer of All Attachment

She expands the intellect and is known for the power of both her wrathful and tranquil mantras.

 She is depicted as an orange lotus and sun, with 3 eyes, holding a trident in her right hand. She holds a tree branch with flowers and fruits in her left hand and shows a raised forefinger.

17.Tara, Accomplisher of Joy and Bliss

She can bind thieves and remove the power of black magic mantras.

 She sits on a white lotus and sun and is orange in color. Her two hands are at her heart, holding a moon disk.

18.Tara the Victorious

She can cure the Naga disease (leprosy) and dispel the effects of poison.

 She is white-colored, with 4 arms, and sits on a white lotus, a moon, and a goose. She holds a hook with a pair of hands joined above her crown, the other hand shows Varada mudra and holds a utpala marked with a book.

19.Tara, Extinguisher of All Suffering

She can free her devotees from poison and eliminate conflict and nightmares.

 She is white, sits on a white lotus and sun, and holds a brazier with her two hands at her heart. Her right leg is slightly extended.

20.Tara, Source of All-Powerful Attainments

She dispels fevers and epidemics.

 She is orange in color and sits on a white lotus with two hands holding a pot near her heart.

21.Tara, the Perfection of Wisdom and Compassion

She subdues evil spirits internally and externally. She is white and sits on a poly lotus and moon.

 She has 1 face and 8 arms. In her right hand, she holds a trident

 Conclusion

If you are wondering why there are 21 Taras in Buddhism, it is because the Buddha offered 21 fundamental practices that enable one to reach enlightenment. 

The Mahayana Sutra system states that a practitioner moves through the 10 levels (Bhumis), eventually arriving at a point where they have the priceless endowment of their human body and Buddha nature. 

Tantric doctrine says that these occur within pairs and can block our passageways. Through repetition, we can create a certain sensation or realization as each of these pairs of knots are untied. 

Once we undo all 21 knots, we become enlightened beings and gain Buddhahood. Buddhahood is present within each of us and waits for order to be restored.  

These 21 dharma kaya attributes manifest as Tara's 20 emanations. The energy we use to untangle our own knots and those of other beings, the energy which helps us gain enlightenment and aid in the attainment of it for other beings, is combined by Tara from all 3 active kayas.

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