Vajrabhairava

Glossary

Also known as Yamantaka, he is a deity considered to be the destroyer or conqueror of death in Buddhism and is the wrathful expression of the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Amitabha in Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism respectively. He is considered to be of the three dharmapalas (protectors of dharma) in the Gelugpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The deity is typically represented with six legs, arms and faces, with the topmost face displaying an angry expression. He is also shown seated or standing on a water buffalo. From the Sanskrit word vajrabhairava, meaning “adamant terrifier.”

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Pre-Modern Art

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Vajrabhairava”. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/vajrabhairava/
MLA	“Vajrabhairava.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/vajrabhairava/. Accessed 27, April, 2024.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Vajrabhairava. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/vajrabhairava/. (Accessed: 27, April, 2024)