大黑天又稱摩訶迦羅，是密教的護法神。其信仰在中國佛教的主流中地位並不顯著，可是自南詔、大理時期（約六四九－一二五三）以來，雲南的大黑天信仰郤十分盛行。此篇論文旨在討論南詔、大理時期雲南佛教大黑天的圖像特徵，並與印度、唐宋、西藏的大黑天圖像作一比較，試圖探討雲南大黑天圖像與信仰的來源問題。 雲南大黑天多以三叉戟、血杯、�Q索和念珠為持物，與唐宋的大黑天像不同，又和西藏的圖像系統迥別，可是郤與印度的作品關係密切，雲南大黑天圖像與信仰顯然直接承續印度的傳統。大黑天信仰與圖像於南詔時期傳入雲南後，遂在當地生根茁壯，逐漸發展出一些雲南特有的大黑天圖像，如大安藥叉、金�y迦羅等。此外，在雲南，大黑天常與北天王毗沙門天同時出現，這種配置在印度、中土、和西藏均不曾發現，也是雲南大黑天圖像的一大特色。

　　　　　Mahakala is worshipped in esoteric Buddhism as a dharmapala or Protector of Buddhist Law'. Generally speaking, Mahakala has never played a significant role in the main stream of Chinese Buddhism, but since the late ninth century the Mahakala cult has flourished in Yunnan province in the southwest corner of China. This paper will focus on the iconography of the Buddhist Mahakala images in Yunnan during the Nanzhao and Dali periods in an attempt to establish, if possible, iconographic sources of Yunnanese Mahakala imagery. The Yunanese Mahakala is commonly depicted as the deity holding the sword, the trident, the skull cup, the drum, the noose and the rosery as his standard attributes of which the skull cup, the sword and the rosery are commonly seen in the hands of Indian Mahakala images. It is quite different from Chinese and Tibetan Mahakala imagery iconographically. This fact indicates that the Mahakala cult and its iconography were brought to Yunnan from India directly, and China and Tibet had little influence on the Yunnanese Mahakala. According to Yunnanese local history, many foreign monks came to Yunnan from India in the Nanzhao period. It is quite possible that the Mahakala cult was introduced to Yunnan by these Indian missionaries. Since then, Mahakala has taken its root in Yunnan. As Mahakala developed in Yunnan, the divinity began to take some new roles, and certain innovative icons were created. In Buddhist traditions Mahakala has various manifestations. Outside of Yunnan, the God of Longevity is never among these. Moreover, the images of the Daan Yaocha and the Jinbojialuo are not encountered in any other Buddhist tradition. They may well be Yunnanese innovations. Another distinctive feature of the Yunnan Mahakala worthy of note is that the deity is often paired with Vaisravana This pair are completely unknown in India, Tibet, or China.