Vajrapashi, Vajrapāśī, Vajra-pashi: 1 definition

Introduction:

Vajrapashi means something in Buddhism, Pali. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Vajrapāśī can be transliterated into English as Vajrapasi or Vajrapashi, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

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In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: archive.org: The Indian Buddhist Iconography

1) Vajrapāśī (वज्रपाशी) refers to one of the ten Goddesses of the Vajratārāmaṇḍala belonging to Vajratārā: one of the various emanations of Ratnasambhava, as mentioned in the 5th-century Sādhanamālā (a collection of sādhana texts that contain detailed instructions for rituals).—Accordingly, the sādhana further says that the Guardians of the Gates should also be meditated upon as around the principal Goddess, but apparently not in the same circle with the [four cardinal Goddess]:—“On the southern gate there is Vajrapāśī of yellow colour. She has one distorted face. She carries in her two hands the noose marked with a vajra”.

All these Goddesses [viz., Vajrapāśī] stand on the orb of the sun in the ālīḍha attitude with the right leg stretched forward. They are radiant like the Sun-god and are surrounded with a fiery halo. They are decked in ornaments of snakes. [...] These Goddesses originate from the ten different letters of the mantra of Vajratārā, which is “oṃ tāre tuttāre ture svāhā”, consisting of ten syllables. Each syllable brings forth a Goddess, and these Goddesses are said to be the embodiments of the ten paramitas of the Mahāyāna School.

2) Vajrapāśī (वज्रपाशी) presides over the South and represents one of the six Goddesses of the directions, commonly depicted in Buddhist Iconography, and mentioned in the 11th-century Niṣpannayogāvalī of Mahāpaṇḍita Abhayākara.—Her Colour is yellow; her Symbol is the noose; she has one face and two arms.—The second goddess in the series is Vajrapāśī who is the presiding deity of the Southern quarter.

Vajrapāśī is described in Niṣpannayogāvalī (vajratārāmaṇḍala) and Sādhanamālā (vajratārāsādhana) as follows:—

“In the South is Vajrapāśī, yellow in colour holding in the right hand the Noose.”

[She shows the raised index linger in the left band.]

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

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