Kishimojin (Hārītī)

Following her embrace of the Buddha’s teachings, Kishimojin (Hārītī) came to be revered as a guardian deity of mothers and children. She is traditionally depicted as a maternal figure holding a pomegranate and cradling a child in her arms. In this work, the imagery of the pomegranate and the child converges in the soft contour of a woman’s breast, becoming a symbol of warmth, nourishment, and the protection of life. Surrounding the form are pomegranate blossoms, evoking fertility, abundance, and the continuation of life through the many seeds contained within the fruit. Interwoven with these life-affirming symbols are the branches of the arjaka tree. In the Dhāraṇī chapter of the Lotus Sutra, Kishimojin and the Ten Rākṣasī Daughters vow to protect those who uphold and expound the sutra, declaring that the head of anyone who seeks to trouble them will split into seven pieces, like the branches of the arjaka tree. Through the pomegranate, the child, the feminine form, and the arjaka branches, the composition brings together two seemingly opposing qualities: the tenderness of maternal love and the formidable strength required to protect what is cherished. The work reflects the dual nature of Kishimojin—the power to nurture life and the fierce resolve to defend it.