Yamantaka, "the destroyer of death" (also called Vajrabhairava), is the wrathful form of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. In the story behind him, Manjushri took on a buffalo-headed form like that of Yama, the lord of death, in order to subdue him. In the Gelug school he is one of the three principal meditation deities.
How he is shown
- Dark blue, standing in a blaze of wisdom fire.
- Nine faces: the central one a buffalo head with sharp horns. At the very top sits the calm, orange face of Manjushri, a reminder that the fierceness comes from wisdom.
- Thirty-four arms holding ritual weapons and implements; the central pair holds a curved knife and a skull cup. He holds a flayed elephant hide stretched across his back.
- Sixteen legs, trampling figures that stand for obstacles and wrong views.
- Often with a consort, Vajravetali, in union with him.
The numbers carry meaning: the 34 arms with body, speech and mind make the 37 factors of enlightenment, and the 16 legs stand for the 16 kinds of emptiness.
Why so fierce?
Wrathful deities are not angry at beings. Their fierceness is directed at ignorance, fear and death itself. Practitioners meditate on Yamantaka to overcome these within their own minds.
In a painting
Yamantaka is among the most demanding subjects a painter can take on: dozens of arms and attributes, layered flames and detailed figures underfoot. Look for clarity in the many hands, lively flames, and a strong but controlled buffalo face. It is a meditation image, best suited to a shrine or practice space.
