EBA


Images

Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalin (left side)

Images

Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalin (right side)

Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalins

SOUTH KOREA, North Gyeongsang, Gyeongju; Unified Silla dynasty

These two statues of Vajrapanibalin are carved on either side of the corridor entrance, along the back (north) wall of the antechamber. Images of Vajrapanibalin can also be found at Bunhwangsa Temple Pagoda and on stone pillars from the Unified Silla dynasty (668–935), but only the Seokguram Grotto has such carvings next to a grotto corridor entrance in Korea.
Carved in relief, these Vajrapanibalins are sculpted with some contrasting features, for example, opened and closed mouths. The Vajrapanibalins have eyebrows curving upwards, broad foreheads, full cheeks, and protruding eyes.

For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves Mo-S, page 1356.

Cite this article:

Hsingyun, et al. "Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalins." Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves Mo-S, vol. 8, 2016, pp. 1356.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Peter Johnson, Mankuang, Susan Huntington, Gary Edson, and Robert Neather. 2016. "Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalins" In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves Mo-S, 8:1356.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Johnson, P., Mankuang, Huntington, S., Edson, G., & Neather, R.. (2016). Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalins. In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves Mo-S (Vol. 8, pp. 1356).
@misc{Hsingyun2016,
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Johnson, Peter and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Caves Mo-S},
pages = 1356,
title = {{Seokguram Grotto: Vajrapanibalins}},
volume = 8,
year = {2016}}


© 2025 Fo Guang Shan. All Rights Reserved.