thousandarmed

Thousandarmed is an epithet used in religious iconography and literature to describe beings that possess a thousand arms. The term is most commonly associated with Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who appears in a thousand-armed form in Buddhist art. In these depictions the figure is surrounded by numerous arms, occasionally with eyes on the palms or on the arms, symbolizing the ability to perceive the suffering of all beings and to extend help in many directions at once. Each arm may hold a different implement or gesture, representing different aspects of compassionate action, such as teaching, traversing the six realms, or granting blessings. The thousand-armed form is used in mandalas and temple iconography across East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Tibet, with regional stylistic variations.

Beyond Buddhist art, thousandarmed can appear as a descriptive or fictional name in literature or media, used to evoke vast reach or power, though as a specific title or character it is not standardized and depends on the author.

This term is distinct from other forms such as single-armed or multi-armed deities in Hindu or Jain traditions, although cross-cultural influence exists in iconographic conventions.