The Dictionary Of Buddhist Iconography, the eleventh in a set, is an endeavour of half acentury to identify, classify, describe and delineate the bewildering variationin Buddhist icons. It spans the last twenty centuries, and it is a comparativestudy of unprecedented geographic variations, besides the ever-evolving visualisationsof great masters who introduced extraordinary plurality of divine forms in the dharanais and sadhanas. The multiple forms of a theonym arise in varyingcontexts. For example, Hevajra of the Hevajra-tantra holds crania in his hands, whilethe Hevajra of the Samputa-tantra has weapons. Both are subdivided into foureach on the planes of kaya, vak, citta and hrdaya, with two, four, eight andsixteen arms. The dictionary classifies several such types of a deity andplaces each in its theogonic structure, specifies the earliest date of itsoccurrence, the earliest image,etc. The esoteric name, symbolic form (samaya), bija (hierogram),mantra, mudra and mandala are given in this dictionary for the first time and on an extensivescale. The dictionary details the characteristic attributes, chronology andsymbolism of over twelve thousand main and minor deities. This dictionary willadd a dimension of precision and depth of perception to the visual tradition ofpaintings and sculptures.