Among the formidable guardians of the Dharma, Paldan Lhamo, known in Sanskrit as Sridevi, stands out as a dark, radiant protector—fierce, wild, and sacred. She is the consort and equal of Mahakala, and together, they traverse the world, defending truth and dispelling delusion. As the wrathful manifestation of a goddess who also embodies serene qualities such as Ekamatri Sridevi, she exemplifies the full spectrum of divine power, ranging from gentle compassion to terrifying wrath. 

In her peaceful form, she appears in celestial tranquillity, dressed in celestial clothing, she sits on a lotus in the posture of royal ease, her left foot slightly extended. She wears a Bodhisattva crown of jewels and smiles compassionately. In her left hand, she holds a bowl filled with jewels. In her right hand is a standard with pennants in all the colors of the rainbow. Her body is enhaloed with brilliant light. However, when the Dharma is threatened, she transforms into her wrathful form: a dark blue, fanged, and three blood-eyed creatures roaring with laughter like a tempest. She rides a mule across a sea of blood, clutching a skull cup of offerings and a staff topped with a skull, her body adorned with serpents and bone ornaments. The flayed skin upon which she rides is that of her son, a profound symbol of her absolute detachment and unwavering purpose.