Yamari (gshin rje gshed) is a male wrathful meditational deity (yidam,

ishtadevata) of the Anuttayoga Class of Tantric literature. There are three

divisions or sections of literature and deity forms: Rakta (red) Yamari, Krishna
(black) Yamari and Vajrabhairava (terrifying). The Krishna Yamari can be divided
first into two main types: New Tantras (Sarma) and Old Tantras (Nyingma). Both
of these traditions have numerous forms and appearances of the deity as well as
numerous lineages of practice descending from those forms. In the Nyingma
Tradition the two terms 'Yamari' (gshin rje gshed) and 'Yamantaka' (gshin rje thar
byed) are often used interchangeably and the majority, if not all, of the different
forms of Krishna Yamari arise from the 'Revealed Treasure' Tradition (Terma)
rather than the Oral Tradition (Kama). For the Sarma Traditions of Sakya, Kagyu,
Jonang, etc., theKrishna Yamari lineages of practice arise from the Tantric
literature of India, namely the Krishna Yamari Tantra [Toh 467].
According to the Sarma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism there are three principal
forms of Krishna Yamari. The descriptions for the three found below are
composed by Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub (1497-1557) based on the Bari Gyatsa
of Bari Lotsawa Rinchen Drag.
[14] "Krishna Yamari, [six faces, six hands].
Yamari has a body black in colour, six faces and six hands. The main face and one
above it are black. The right face and one above it are white. The left face and
one above it are red. The first two hands hold a vajra and bell crossed at the
heart. The middle two hold a skullcup and lasso. The last two hold a sword and
staff. Standing with the front two legs in the vajrasana [posture], the middle two
have the right bent and the left straight [and] the last two have the left bent and
the right straight. The hair, eyebrows and beard are orange and flowing upwards,
with a crown of five dry skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh [skulls]. Adorned with
snake and jewel ornaments. Having a tiger skin as a lower garment."
[15] "Krishna Yamari, [one face, two hands].
Krishna Yamari has one face and two hands. The right holds aloft a blue stick
marked with a vajra and the left, a wrathful [gesture] together with a lasso held
to the heart, with the same ornaments and appearance as before. Standing above
a red buffalo in a manner with the left leg extended."
[16] "Krishna Yamari, [three faces, six hands].
He is the same as all the other [previous Yamaris], with three faces and six
hands, the body and main face are blue, the right white and the left red. With six
hands, the three right hold, a wheel, sword and staff, the three left, a body
impaled on a strong vetali tree, vajra and noose."