Parnashavari

Buddhist goddess
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parnashavari
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Print
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parnashavari
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Hiyōi, Lo-ma-gyon-ma, Parṇaśavarī
Sanskrit:
Parṇaśavarī

Parnashavari, in Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism, a goddess distinguished by the girdle of leaves she wears. She is known as Lo-ma-gyon-ma in Tibet and as Hiyōi in Japan. Parnashavari is apparently derived from an aboriginal deity, and one of her titles is Sarvashavaranam Bhagavati, or “goddess of all the Shavaras” (a tribe in eastern India). Invoked to fight disease and epidemics, she is represented with a smiling but irritated expression, stamping on personified figures of fever and smallpox.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon.