Stele with Shadakshari-Lokeshvara

Shadakshari-Lokeshvara, a four-armed manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, is known as the “Lord of the Six Syllables.” The “six syllables” refers to the popular mantra recited to increase the power of compassion in the world: om mani padme hum. It is written in two types of script—the top used for Sanskrit and the bottom used for Tibetan—on either side of his head. Sitting in the full lotus posture of a yogi, he holds a lotus flower in his upper left hand and a rosary on the right. His two front hands are pressed together in a gesture of veneration. The small size of this plaque suggests that it was used as an object of personal devotion and may have been a pilgrimage souvenir.