Eighty-four mahasiddhas
Eighty-four mahasiddhas (Skt. caturaśītisiddha; Wyl. grub thob brgyad cu rtsa bzhi) — eighty (or eighty four) great siddhas of ancient India whose lives have been recounted by Abhayadatta. By alphabetical order:
- Achinta or Achintapa, the 'Avaricious Hermit';
- Ajogi or Ayogipa, the 'Rejected Wastrel';
- Anangapa, Ananga or Anangavajra, the 'Handsome Fool';
- Aryadeva, the 'Lotus-Born' or the 'One-Eyed';
- Babhaha, the 'Free Lover';
- Bhadrapa, the 'Snob' or the 'Exclusive Brahmin';
- Bhandepa, the 'Envious God';
- Bhiksanapa, 'Siddha Two-Teeth';
- Bhusuku or Bhusukupada, the 'Lazy Monk' or the 'Idle Monk';
- Camaripa, the 'Divine Cobbler';
- Campaka or Campakapada, the 'Flower King';
- Carbaripa or Carpati, 'Who Turned People to Stone' or 'the Petrifyer';
- Catrapa, the 'Lucky Beggar';
- Caurangipa, the 'Limbless One' or 'the Dismembered Stepson';
- Celukapa, the 'Revitalized Drone';
- Darikapa, the 'Slave-King of the Temple Whore';
- Dengipa, the 'Courtesan's Brahmin Slave';
- Dhahulipa, the 'Blistered Rope-Maker';
- Dharmapa, the 'Eternal Student' (c.900 CE);
- Dhilipa, the 'Epicurean Merchant';
- Dhobipa, the 'Wise Washerman';
- Dhokaripa, the 'Bowl-Bearer';
- Dombi Heruka, the 'Tiger Rider';
- Dukhandi, the 'Scavenger';
- Ghantapa, the 'Celibate Monk' or the 'Celibate Bell-Ringer';
- Gharbari or Gharbaripa, the 'Contrite Scholar' (Skt. pandita)
- Godhuripa or Gorura, the 'Bird Catcher';
- Goraksa, Gorakhnath or Goraksha, the 'Immortal Cowherd';
- Indrabhuti, (his teachings disseminated to Tilopa);
- Jalandhara, the 'Dakini's Chosen One';
- Jayananda, the 'Crow Master';
- Jogipa, the 'Siddha Pilgrim';
- Kalapa, the 'Handsome Madman';
- Kamparipa, the 'Blacksmith';
- Kambala, the 'Yogin of the Black Blanket' (or the 'Black-Blanket-Clad Yogin');
- Kanakhala, the younger of the two Headless Sisters or Severed-Headed Sisters;
- Kanha or Kanhapa, the 'Dark-Skinned One' (or the 'Dark Siddha');
- Kankana, the 'Siddha-King';
- Kankaripa, the 'Lovelorn Widower';
- Kantalipa, the 'Rag Picker' (or the 'Ragman-Tailor');
- Kapalapa, the 'Skull Bearer';
- Khadgapa, the 'Master Thief' (or the 'Fearless Thief');
- Kilakilapa, the 'Exiled Loud-Mouth';
- Kirapalapa, the 'Repentant Conqueror';
- Kokilipa, the 'Complacent Aesthete';
- Kotalipa, the 'Peasant Guru';
- Kuchipa, the 'Goitre-Necked Yogin';
- Kukkuripa, the 'Dog Lover';
- Kumbharipa, 'the Potter';
- Laksminkara, 'The Mad Princess';
- Lilapa, the 'Royal Hedonist';
- Luchikapa, the 'Escapist';
- Luyipa, the 'Fish-Gut Eater';
- Mahipa, the 'Greatest';
- Manibhadra, the 'Model Wife' or the 'Happy Housewife';
- Medhini, the 'Tired Farmer';
- Mekhala, the elder of the two Headless Sisters or Severed-Headed Sisters;
- Mekopa, the 'Wild-Eyed Guru' (or the 'Guru Dread-Stare');
- Minapa, the 'Fisherman';
- Nagabodhi, the 'Red-Horned Thief';
- Nagarjuna;
- Nalinapa, the 'Self-Reliant Prince';
- Naropa;
- Nirgunapa, the 'Enlightened Moron';
- Pacharipa, the 'Pastrycook';
- Pankajapa, the 'Lotus-Born Brahmin';
- Putalipa, the 'Mendicant Icon-Bearer';
- Rahula, the 'Rejuvenated Dotard';
- Saraha, the 'Arrow Maker';
- Sakara;
- Samudra, the 'Pearl Diver';
- Shantipa, the 'Academic' (or the 'Complacent Missionary')
- Sarvabhaksa, the 'Empty-Bellied Siddha' (or the 'Glutton');
- Shavaripa, the 'Hunter';
- Shalipa, the 'Jackal Yogin';
- Tantepa, the 'Gambler';
- Tantipa, the 'Senile Weaver';
- Thaganapa, the 'Compulsive Liar';
- Tilopa;
- Udhilipa, the 'Flying Siddha' (the 'Bird-Man');
- Upanaha, the 'Bootmaker';
- Vinapa, the 'Music Lover', the 'Musician';
- Virupa;
- Vyalipa, the 'Courtesan's Alchemist'.
Further Reading
- Abhayadatta, Buddha's Lions: Lives of the Eighty-four Siddhas, translated by James B. Robinson (Emeryville: Dharma Publishing, 1979).
- Keith Dowman
- Buddhist Masters of Enchantment: The Lives and Legends of the Mahasiddhas (Rochester: Inner Traditions, 1998)
- Masters of Mahāmudrā: Songs and Histories of the Eighty-four Buddhist Siddhas (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986)