Symbolism of 5 eyes in paintings (5-eyed snakes :P)

NamelessRiver

I was checking out some Yamantaka paintings and also from some other angry Yidams and I noticed a curious feature: it is like a white snake but instead of a head it has five eyes. So far I haven't been able to find any source pointing out as to what it might represent, or why there are always four of them. Any ideas?

[Below is a Mahakala with the so called five-eyed snakes]

bravehawk

Only thing I could find was this. hope this helps a little in your journey to finding out your answer.

compassionate_warrior

4 snakes for the 4 directions?

compassionate_warrior

A search of "Mahakala iconography, serpents" turned up this:
the serpents symbolize our psychic instinctive and primordial energy ... which, having been tamed, become the crowning glory of our spiritual achievements". No discussion of the 5 eyes, but they could represent the wisdom of the 5 highest chakras, just a guess.

Vincenzi

more eyes, more wisdom or better ability to see.

either way, in my opinion highly symbolic images are one of the worst ways of explaining the Dharma.

dorje

I don't see any snakes in the picture, but if you're talking about the white things with 4 or 5 eye-like things, those are supposed to be elephant skin.

dorje

I just found this, but you can see it's the skin of a flayed elephant.

compassionate_warrior

"In Tantric iconography, elephant skins are trampled by Mahakala and other wrathful dieties. ... Mahakala wears an elephant skin, ...symbolizing the conquest over ignorance..."

Thank you, dorje. So, River, what appear to be eyes are actually the skin of the elephant's feet.

zidangus

Five eye's maybe

Physical eye, Heavenly eye, Wisdom eye, Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye.


http://www.baus.org/baus/library/5eyese.html

NamelessRiver

Thanks guys. I guess its an elephant skin afterall (not that I could ever guess just by looking at it :P).

Jeffrey

I wonder if the 5 eyes refer to the five skandas along with zidangus said

Physical - form (transformed is morality)
heaven - feeling (transformed is concentration)
Wisdom - perception (transformed is wisdom)
Dharma eye - mental formations
Buddha eye - consciousness

He also has 5 skulls on his head.

compassionate_warrior

Could be. But in the image that was presented, it's an elephant skin, with the five toenails of each foot. (I mean, sticking strictly to the OP)