Vajrayaksa Vidyaraja

金刚夜叉明王 · 金剛夜叉明王

Vajra-Extinguisher Vidyaraja, the Northern of the Five Great Vidyarajas

Divine Office

Devouring all evil karma and defiling obstructions
Subduing yakshas, goblins, and malevolent spirits
Protecting practitioners in the purity of their three karmas (body, speech, and mind)
Vowing to sever all sentient beings’ afflictions

Origin & Legend

Vajrayaksa Vidyaraja, also known as Vajra-Extinguisher Vidyaraja, is the wrathful manifestation of the Buddha Amoghasiddhi of the Northern Quarter and occupies the northern position among the Five Great Vidyarajas. Yakshas are traditionally swift, fierce spirit-beings; this Vidyaraja embodies their swiftness and valor to devour all sentient beings’ evil karma and impurities, thereby utterly dispersing afflictions and habitual tendencies. His three faces—compassionate, wrathful, and ferociously terrifying—symbolize the Buddha’s and bodhisattvas’ skillful means for taming obstinate and unruly beings; his crossed legs upon the lotus signify his solemn vow to sever afflictions and realize enlightenment. In Esoteric Buddhism, his mantra is employed to purify the three karmas and subdue demonic forces. Though named after the yaksha, he is in truth the most fiercely compassionate of all.