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Vajrabhairava Yamantaka

The deity depicted here is Yamantaka Vajrabhairava, the dynamic expression of Bodhisattva Manjusri. He is dark, has nine heads, thirty-four arms and sixteen legs. A halo of flames encircles him. There is a buffalo's head in the centre, and another three heads on each of the other sides(1). Vajrabhairava is depicted naked, while he treads on and crushes animals, devils and Hindu gods. He is holding a number of tantric symbols, the supreme elements which break the bond of the karma. Manjusri is depicted at the top of the figure. At the bottom, ten guardians of the directions, dikpala, represent: Indra, Yama, Varuna, Kubera, Agni, Nairrti, Vayu, Ishana, Brahma and Ananta. Vajrabhairava is the most important guardian deity of the dGe-lugs- pa sect. With his powers he is able to drive outsiders away "from the great mysteries of the Tantras” and fights the enemies of the faith and the forces which oppose the doctrine

(1)“Art of Tibet”, P. Pal, pp. 146.Eight heads symbolize the eight directions and the ninth the center of the universe.