Associated with the mysterious Shavari tribe of ancient India, the Fo rest Goddess, Parnashavari, with three faces and six hands, wears we ars a skirt and a garland of thatched green leaves. She is associated with ungle tribes and the !ractice of healing, !articularly curing contagious diseases. In the "imalayas and #ibet when a large grou! of !eo!le congregate to receive extended religious teachings, it is common to first give the initiation and blessing for the Forest Goddess in order to stave off sickness. #he Forest Goddess is an exam!le of o f an Indian folk deity absorbed into #antric $uddhism. She is a !o!ular !ractice and has numerous forms with varying em!hases. For the !ractitioner of %soteric %soteric $uddhist meditation, the Forest Goddess is an emanation o f the $uddha, and her s!ecial characteristic or meta!hor is that of sickness and healing. hea ling. &...the $hagavan Parnashavari with a body the colour of !ure gold' go ld' with three faces, six hands' the main yellow face is slightly smiling and slightly wrathful. #he right face is white with a calm ex!ression. #he left face is red with an ex!ression e x!ression of desire' each of the three faces has three eyes. #he first right hand holds a vara at the heart' second, an axe in the manner of striking' third, brandishing an arrow. #he first left holds a vara lasso wound around the fore(finger' second, a fan of new leaves with fruit and flowers hanging' third a bow' adorned with various flowers and ewels. "aving an u!!er garment of red cloth of divine material and a lower garment of new leaves thatched together and adorned with many flowers and fruit. )ith long hair in a tuft, bound u!ward by a eweled white snake and in the !rime of youth' the body is very beautiful, dexterous and slightly wrathful. #he #he knee of the right leg is !ressing down on the seat and the heel is !ositioned underneath in su!!ort. #he left is being raised u!, seated in a haughty manner. mann er.&& *#hartse Panchen +amkha Palang. P alang. sGrub #habs -un b#us, vol., fol./0(/12. 345 Parnashavari. &...Parnashavari, 3with5 three faces and six hands. #he main face is yellow, the right white and the left yellow. Also, each 3face5 has three eyes and is haughty and smiling. #he three right hands hold, a vara, axe and arrow. #he three left, a wrathful 3gesture5 together with a lasso, a fan of new leaves and a bow. "aving a crown of hair tied with a flower. Adorned with ewel ornaments and wearing a lower garment of new leaves. -neeling above hindrances, the right heel blocking the lower door and the sole of the left foot !laced on the seat.& *+gorchen -onchog 6hundrub, 7481(7991. $ased on the $ari Gyatsa of $ari 6otsawa :inchen ;rag, ; rag, 7/4/(777<2.