Ashtabhaya Lokeshvara

Ashtabhaya Lokeshvara (Skt. Aṣṭabhayatrāṇa Avalokiteśvara; T. spyan ras gzigs ‘jigs pa brgyad skyob སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་འཇིགས་པ་བརྒྱད་སྐྱོབ་).^[1] "Lokeshvara [who protects from] the eight dangers." A form of Avalokiteśvara with eight arms who protects beings from the eight great dangers.

This form of Avalokiteśvara is one of twenty-six deity practices in the tradition of Purnavajra and his student Shakyarakshita.^[2]

A practice text by Taranatha states:

"Arya Avalokiteshvara is white, with Amitabha as a crown. With one face and eight hands. The right [hands] hold a lion, elephant, snake, and ghost. The left [hands hold] fire, water, a chain and a person. The left leg is extended in a dancing manner [the right drawn up]; adorned with silks and jewels. In front is Yellow Tara with the two hands folded at the heart holding a jewel offered to the Lord [Lokeshvara]." (Jonang Taranata, Rinjung Gyatsa, [yi dam rgya mtsho'i sgrub thabs rin chen 'byung g.nas] pages 508-509).^[2]