Panchika

Sculpture of the Panchika and Hariri from Gandhara

Panchika ( Sanskrit पाञ्चिक pāñcika , Chinese  般 闍 迦 ) is in the mythology of Buddhism one of the generals of the Yakshas who accompany the god of war Vaisravana .

He is the consort of the goddess Hariti and is often depicted with her in works of Graeco-Buddhist art in Gandhara . Here he appears as a warrior carrying a lance, the type of which is borrowed from Hellenistic depictions of Heracles . Since statues of the couple were often attached to the monastery entrances, he took on the role of Dvarapala ("gatekeeper"). Through his connection with Hariri, he was also a god of wealth, which is why his representations were also identified with Vaisravana or the patron god Mahakala .

During the Kushana period and the associated exchange with Persia , Panchika mixed with the Zoroastrian gods Mithra and Pharro .

literature

• Günter Grönbold: Pāñcika . In: Hans Wilhelm Haussig , Heinz Bechert (Ed.): Gods and Myths of the Indian Subcontinent (= Dictionary of Mythology . Department 1: The ancient civilized peoples. Volume 5). Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-12-909850-X , p. 441.