Who Is Red Tara? Kurukulla — The Tibetan Goddess of Love, Power & Magnetism
She dances on a lotus, wrapped in red, drawing all things toward her with a flower-tipped bow. In Tibetan Buddhism, Red Tara — known as Kurukulla — is one of the most invoked and beloved of all the twenty-one Taras. She is the goddess of love, magnetizing power, and transformation. And her connection to dzi beads runs deeper than many collectors realize.
Who Is Red Tara?
Red Tara is one of the twenty-one Taras — a group of enlightened female deities who are considered manifestations of the compassionate activity of all Buddhas. Within this sacred family, Red Tara holds a unique role. She is the Tara of magnetism, attraction, and transformation of desire into wisdom.
Her Sanskrit name is Kurukulla (Tibetan: Rigjéma — རིག་བྱེད་མ, meaning "she who is the cause of knowledge"). She is also known as Drolma Marmo in Tibetan, simply meaning Red Tara. In some traditions she is called Tarodbhava Kurukulla — "the Kurukulla who arises from Tara" — emphasizing that she is an emanation of Tara herself, and through Tara, a manifestation of the compassion of Avalokiteshvara.
Her mantra is: Om Kurukulle Hrih Soha (also written Om Tare Tam Svaha in some lineages).
What Does Red Tara Look Like? Iconography Explained
Red Tara is one of the most visually distinctive deities in Tibetan Buddhist iconography. Every element of her appearance carries symbolic meaning:
- Red color — represents passion, magnetism, and the activity of drawing positive conditions toward the practitioner. Red is also the color of the Lotus Family of Amitabha Buddha, to which Kurukulla belongs.
- Four arms — in her most common form, she has four arms. Her right hands hold a flower-adorned bow and hook; her left hands hold lotus-tipped arrows and a noose. Some forms have eight arms.
- Flower bow and lotus arrows — like the Hindu god Kama (Cupid), she shoots arrows of attraction. But unlike Kama, her arrows magnetize beings toward the Dharma — toward liberation, not worldly desire.
- Hook and noose — the hook attracts blessings and favorable circumstances; the noose binds obstacles and negative forces so they cannot harm the practitioner.
- Dancing posture — she is always shown in dynamic motion, one foot raised, signifying swift action and readiness to spring to the practitioner's aid at any moment.
- Lotus throne — she stands or dances atop a fully bloomed lotus, a symbol of purity arising from the mud of samsara.
- Semi-wrathful expression — not fully peaceful, not fully wrathful. This reflects her role: she is fiercely compassionate, using power in service of liberation.
What Is Red Tara Known For? Powers and Benefits
In Vajrayana Buddhism, deities are not separate beings "out there" but rather reflections of qualities that can be awakened within the practitioner. Red Tara's domain is the magnetizing activity — the ability to attract what is needed and transform what is harmful.
Practitioners invoke Red Tara for:
- Love and relationships — she is widely invoked by those seeking to attract a soulmate, heal a broken relationship, or strengthen existing bonds. She removes the emotional and karmic blocks that prevent love from flowing freely.
- Magnetizing positive circumstances — wealth, opportunity, favorable conditions, influential people. She draws what is needed toward the practitioner.
- Subjugation of obstacles — she subdues negative forces, harmful influences, and internal obstacles that block progress on the spiritual path.
- Charisma and personal power — her practice is said to enhance the practitioner's natural radiance, making them more compelling, influential, and effective in the world.
- Protection — like all Taras, she protects from the eight great fears (pride, delusion, hatred, jealousy, wrong views, greed, attachment, and doubt).
- Swift spiritual progress — her practice is considered especially swift and potent, transforming desire itself into a vehicle for awakening.
It is important to understand that Kurukulla magnetizes always in the context of Bodhichitta — the aspiration to benefit all sentient beings. Her power is not for selfish manipulation but for awakening. As Buddha Weekly describes: she is like a celebrity endorsing a worthy cause, using her enchanting power to draw us toward the Dharma.
Red Tara and the Twenty-One Taras
In Tibetan Buddhism, twenty-one forms of Tara are described in the canonical text known as the Praises to the Twenty-One Taras. Each form has a different color, posture, and sphere of activity. The most widely known are Green Tara (swift protection) and White Tara (longevity and healing). Red Tara holds the fifth position in the Longchen Nyingthig system of the twenty-one Taras, her praise extolling her power to subdue all beings across the seven worlds through magnetizing enchantment rather than wrathful force.
She is also linked with the Pancha Raksha — a group of five female protective deities in Tibetan Buddhism who guard practitioners from various types of harm.
Red Tara's Mantra — Om Kurukulle Hrih Soha
The mantra of Red Tara Kurukulla is: Om Kurukulle Hrih Soha
Breaking down the syllables:
- Om — homage to the body, speech, and mind of the enlightened ones
- Kurukulle — the vocative form of Kurukulla (note: the mantra uses this form, while the deity's name is Kurukulla)
- Hrih — the seed syllable of Amitabha and the Lotus Family; the sound of compassionate magnetizing energy
- Soha (Svaha) — "may the blessing take root; may this be so"
A second mantra associated with Red Tara is: Om Tare Tam Svaha — used in traditions that emphasize her identity as a form of Tara.
Practitioners traditionally recite the mantra 21 or 108 times, often with red offerings such as flowers or incense. The mantra is used to magnetize love, remove obstacles to relationships, attract wealth and positive circumstances, and transform desire into wisdom.
Red Tara and Dzi Beads — A Sacred Connection
The Tara connection to dzi beads is one of the most meaningful for collectors and practitioners. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, dzi beads are sacred agate talismans believed to carry the protective and blessing energy of specific deities and cosmic forces. The Tara motif in dzi beads is one of the most revered.
The Tara dzi bead (also called the Green Tara dzi or Tara motif dzi) is believed to invoke the protective and compassionate energy of Tara in all her forms — including Red Tara. Collectors and practitioners prize these beads as wearable protection, a daily connection to Tara's energy, and a bridge between the physical and the sacred.
At Ancient Dzi Shop, we carry genuine antique Tara dzi beads — over 200 years old, photographed without retouching, exactly as they are:
- Antique Tibetan Green Tara Dzi Bead with Bloodspots & Natural Striations — 200+ years old
- Antique Green Tara Dzi Bracelet with Black Agate & Red Amber — wearable sacred talisman
You can also explore our full Ancient Dzi collection and Antique Dzi collection — every bead is genuine, every photograph unretouched.
Frequently Asked Questions About Red Tara
What is the difference between Red Tara and Green Tara?
Green Tara is the most widely venerated form — she is the swift protector, acting immediately to rescue practitioners from danger and fear. Red Tara (Kurukulla) is the magnetizing form — she attracts love, positive circumstances, and spiritual opportunity, and transforms desire into wisdom. Green Tara protects; Red Tara draws in. Both are emanations of the same enlightened compassionate activity.
Is Red Tara the same as Kurukulla?
Yes and no. Kurukulla is a specific tantric deity who became so closely associated with Red Tara that the two are effectively identified in most Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Technically, Kurukulla is described as "the Kurukulla who arises from Tara" — an emanation of Tara, not Tara herself. But in practice, the names are used interchangeably, and Kurukulla is the most complete and fully developed form of Red Tara.
What is Red Tara's mantra?
The primary mantra of Red Tara Kurukulla is Om Kurukulle Hrih Soha. A second variation, Om Tare Tam Svaha, is used in some lineages and is sometimes called the Red Tara mantra. Both are considered effective for magnetizing love, wealth, and positive spiritual conditions.
Can anyone practice Red Tara?
Red Tara is a tantric deity, and formal practice traditionally requires initiation (lung) from a qualified teacher. However, many lineage teachers note that because she is a form of Tara — herself universally accessible — her mantra can be chanted by anyone with sincere Bodhichitta intention. Always follow your own lineage's guidance.
What dzi bead is connected to Tara?
The Tara motif dzi bead (Green Tara dzi) is the most directly connected. In the broader dzi tradition, beads with lotus motifs, specific eye patterns, and high-energy agate qualities are also associated with Tara's protective and compassionate energy. At Ancient Dzi Shop, our antique Green Tara dzi beads are among the most sought-after pieces we carry.
Conclusion: Why Red Tara Still Matters
Red Tara Kurukulla is not simply a historical figure or a deity for devoted practitioners alone. She represents something deeply human: the desire to love and be loved, the longing to attract what is good, and the aspiration to transform our deepest impulses into something that benefits not just ourselves but everyone around us. In an age where many people are rediscovering contemplative traditions, Red Tara's relevance has only grown.
For collectors of Tibetan artifacts and dzi beads, she is also a reminder of what these objects carry: not just aesthetic beauty or investment value, but centuries of living spiritual tradition, still active, still meaningful.
Explore our genuine ancient and antique dzi bead collection — every piece photographed honestly, every bead verified authentic.