Paper short abstract:

Prajñāpāramitā, the goddess of supreme wisdom, figures prominently in the Cambodian Buddhist pantheon. This paper intends to look at her icons in India and at the change and development in the representations the icon underwent once admitted into the Cambodian religious and political context.

Paper long abstract:

Approaching the iconography and iconology of Prajñāpāramitā in Cambodia

Prajñāpāramitā, the goddess of supreme wisdom and personification of the Prajñāpāramitā-literature, is the sole goddess to figure prominently in the Cambodian Buddhist pantheon. She appears towards the end of the 10th century in a two- and four-armed form, on her own, or in connection with the nāga-enthroned Buddha, Avalokiteśvara and/or Vajrapāṇi. She displays one, four or five heads.

In the 12th century she reappears in a variety of forms, most prominently in a triad with the Buddha and Avalokiteśvara, but also for the first time in a tantric variation with 11 heads and 22 arms (Ekadaśamuka-Prajñāpāramitā) - holding a variety of attributes. She is represented sitting as well as standing.

This paper intends, first, to throw some light on the origin and presence of the Prajñāpāramitā icon in India; and second, to look at the development and change in representations and figurations the icon underwent once admitted into the Cambodian religious and political context. The latter will be accomplished through re-examining her presence in the Mahāyāna Buddhist inscriptions and by reviewing the material corpus of her representation.

While there has been some secondary literature dealing with Prajñāpāramitā in the Cambodian context, there has been little if any secondary literature focussing solely on the iconography and iconology of the goddess in Cambodia.