| Dakini | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Other Names |
Dakiniten, Shinko’ō, Kiko Tennō |
|
First Appearance |
Hindu/Buddhist Mythology |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Temple banner close-up on bird-headed ḍākinī ( Art Institute of Chicago)
A ḍākinī is a type of goddess in Hinduism and Buddhism.The concept of the ḍākinī somewhat differs depending on the context and the tradition. For example, in earlier Hindu texts and East Asian esoteric Buddhism, the term denotes a race of demonesses who ate the flesh and/or vital essence of humans. In Hindu Tantric literature, Ḍākinī is the name of a goddess often associated with one of the six chakras or the seven fundamental elements (dhātu) of the human body.
In Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhism, meanwhile, 'ḍākinī' (also wisdom ḍākinī) can refer to both what can be best described as fierce-looking female embodiment of enlightened energy, and to human women with a certain amount of spiritual development, both of whom can help Tantric initiates in attaining enlightenment.
In Japan, the ḍākinīs – held in the East Asian Buddhist tradition to have been subjugated and converted to Buddhism by the buddha Vairocana under the guise of the god Mahākāla (Daikokuten in Japanese) – were eventually coalesced into a single deity called Dakiniten, who, after becoming syncretized with the native agricultural deity Inari, became linked to the fox (kitsune) iconography associated with the latter.
Taira no Kiyomori encounters the fox goddess Kiko Tennō (Dakiniten), by Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Dakini from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Rudrayāmala Tantra
- Shiva Purāṇa
- Bhāgavata Purāṇa
- Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
- The Sound and Meaning of All Sūtras
- Genpei Jōsuiki
- Kokon Chomonjū
Notes[]
- Characters named after or inspired by Dakini appear in books published by Marvel and Image Comics.