Vidyārāja

deity intermediate East Asian Buddhism single tradition · 2

The Wisdom Kings are beings venerated in East Asian Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. They are depicted with an aggressive or fierce appearance which symbolizes their power to get rid of negative forces. They are seen as an expression of the Buddha's compassion.

↻ synthesized from 2 sources

When

First attested
600 CE
Attested period
600 – 2020
Historical notes
Term came into use around the late 7th-early 8th century.

Relationships

co occurs with
Vajratīkṣṇa

Expand to full subgraph →

Sources

Source passages

“The Wisdom Kings (Sanskrit: Vidyārāja) are beings that are venerated in East Asian Buddhism and in Vajrayana Buddhism. They are often depicted with an aggressive or fierce appearance which symbolizes their power to get rid of negative forces.”

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