What does the name Yamantaka mean?
Yamantaka is a Sanskrit name combining Yama, the god of death, and antaka, meaning destroyer. It translates as Destroyer of Death or Conqueror of Death.
Questions about Yamantaka
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which school of Tibetan Buddhism is Yamantaka associated with?
Yamantaka is most closely associated with the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, where he belongs to the Anuttarayoga class of tantra.
How did Yamantaka defeat Yama the lord of death?
Yamantaka took on a form even more terrifying than Yama's own appearance, terrorizing him into submission. Yama then repented and became a guardian of dharma.
Who is Yamantaka considered a wrathful form of?
Different Buddhist traditions give different answers. Taranatha identifies Yamantaka as a wrathful expression of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. In Chinese Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism, he is the wrathful emanation of Amitabha. The Manjushrimülakalpa describes him as an emanation of Vajrapani.
How many heads and arms does Vajramahabhairava have?
Vajramahabhairava, the most common representation of Yamantaka, has nine heads, thirty-two hands, and sixteen legs. He stands atop Yama and all the Devas and Asuras.
What is the connection between Yamantaka and the Hindu deity Shiva?
One historical root traces Yamantaka to Kalantaka, an aspect of Shiva who saves devotees from Yama. In Buddhist tantric literature, Shiva appears as the wrathful Bhairava, and adding the prefix vajra to his name was interpreted as a sign of his full conversion to Buddhism.