by thailms
Maravijaya Attitude, or Mara Vichai (Thai: ปางมารวิชัย; RTGS: Paang Mara Vichai) is an attitude of Buddha in Thai art of which the seated Buddha is putting his hand in the relax posture towards to the ground, loosely holding his knee. The other hand is on his lap. His eyes look down to the groud, sometimes are closed. The gesture of the hand reaching the ground is called Bhumisparshamudra, which also refers to the attitude as well. The gesture refers to the episode which the Buddha calling the earth to witness.
The attitude refers to the episode that he was reaching the enlightenment and being disturbed by maras. Learning that the maras asked him to give up, he touched the groud and called the Phra Mae Thorani to help him fight with the maras.[1] Thoranee called tonnes of water and flooded away the maras. The episode results in the name Mara Vichai which means the "Victory (vichai) over the Mara". Other Thai names are Chana Mara (ชนะมาร; victory over the Mara) and Sadoung Mara (สะดุ้งมาร; making the Mara feared)
The Maravijaya seated Buddha is cosidered the most-built attitude for principle Buddha in ubosots of Burmese, Lao and Thai Wats.
