The Buddhist deity Vajravārāhī (Tibetan: Dorje Pa’mo) is associated not only with several Buddhist Mahāsiddhas but also with several Siddhas of the śaiva and śākta sects. Bhagavatī is worshiped in the adharāmnāya of śrīkula tantra as upāmnāyanāyika, Vajrayōginī being the āmnāyanāyikā. Bhagavatī Bimbāmbikā recognizes the fact that the deity is Buddhist in origin, as does Baḍabānala Tantra, and both prescribe the use of Triśakti Chāmuṇḍā during the observance of tāntrikī sandhyā during mahāniśā instead of Vajravārāhī, however prescribing her mantra for purposes of japa.
The mantra and procedures for Vajravārāhī are detailed in the G uhyasamayasādhanamālā. The lineage traces her sādhanā to the Buddhist Tantric teacher, Indrabhūti. Naropa and Maitripa, the well-known Buddhist Siddhas are known to have achieved realization through the sādhanā of Vajrayōginī in her manifestation as Vajravārāhī. In her form as Chinnamuṇḍā, her vidyā was transmitted from Mahāsiddha Knnhapa to the sisters Mēkhalā and Kanakahālā. Her methods were transmitted to Tibet and Nepal by Lakṣmīṅkarā, the famous sister of Indrabhūti.
In the Buddhist Tantras, Vajravārāhī is described as radiant with dāḍīmīkusuma-varṇa, sporting in her right hand, a vajratarjanī and in her left, a skull-cup, while her left elbow cradles a vajra-staff of immense might. Glorious with a single face, she radiates with three lotus eyes, has flowing untied hair, is digvastrā and is stationed in the pratyālīḍha posture upon Bhairava and Kālarātri. She wears a garland of freshly severed heads and is blissfully indulgent in rudhirapāna from her skull-cup. She is described as ever youthful, as a sixteen-year-old maiden.
Within her maṇḍala are present her four attendants: Dākinī, Lāmā, Khaṇḍarōhā, and Rūpiṇī, respectively of kr̥ṣṇa (dark blue), śyāma (black), rakta (red) and gaura (white) varṇas. Each of them has a single face, four hands bearing kapāla, khaṭvānga, ḍamaruka, and kartrikā. Like Vajravārāhī, they are also naked with flowing hair and decorated with pañcamudrā.
Around the central lotus hosting the mūladēvatā, are four auxiliary lotuses where the deities worshiped are Māmakī, Lōcanā, Tārā, and Pāṇḍaravāsinī. These four deities are respectively Kulēśvarīs of the kulas of Akṣōbhya, Amōghasiddhi, Amitābha, and Vairōcana. In the outer maṇḍala, the deities worshiped are Kākāsyā, Ulūkāsyā, śvānāsyā and Sūkarāsyā. In the corners of this maṇḍala, Yamadāḍhī, Yamadūtī, Yamadamṣṭriṇī, and Yamamathanī are invoked.
In the āstika adoption of this deity, the dikpālas are additionally worshiped in the Bhupura.
There are other forms of the deity such as the one sporting four faces and twelve arms described tantras such as Vajrābhyudaya Tantra. There are also red, white, black forms of the deity with mantra and maṇḍala variations.
The mūla mantra of Bhagavatī is: ॐ वज्रवैरोचनीये हुं हुं फट् स्वाहा (OM vajravairocanīye huṃ huṃ phaṭ svāhā )
The longer mantra of Vajravārāhī described as Jvālāmukhī Vajravārāhī is revealed as below:
ॐ नमो भगवति वज्रवाराहि आर्यापराजिते त्रैलोक्यमात्रे महाविद्ये सर्वभूतभयावहे महावज्रे वज्रासने अजिते अपराजिते वशङ्करि विषशोधनि क्रोधनि करालिनि सन्त्रासिनि सुप्रभेदिनि पराजये विजये जम्भनि स्तम्भिनि मोदिनि वज्रवाराहि महायोगिनि कामेश्वरि खगे हन हन प्राणान् किङ्किणि किङ्किणि धुन धुन वज्रहस्ते शोषय शोषय महापिशितमांसाशनि मनुष्यान्त्रप्रावृते मालाग्रथितधारिणि शुम्भनिशुम्भे हन हन प्राणान् सर्वपापसत्त्वानां सर्वपशूनां मांसच्छेदनि क्रोधमूर्ते दम्ष्ट्राकरालिनि महामुद्रे श्रीहेरुकदेवस्य अग्रमहिषि सहस्रशिरे सहस्रबाहो शतसहस्रानने ज्वलिततेजसे ज्वालामुखि पिङ्गललोचने वज्रशरीरे वज्रासने मिलि मिलि तिमिलि तिमिलि हे हे हुं हुं ख ख धु धु धुरु धुरु मुरु मुरु अद्वैते महायोगिनि पठितसिद्धे द्रे द्रे धं धं ग्रं ग्रं हे हे ह ह भौमे हस हस वीरे हा हा हो हो हुं हुं त्रैलोक्यविनाशिनि शतसहस्रकोटि तथागतपरिवारिते हुं फट् सिंहरूपे खः गजरूपे गः त्रैलोक्योदरे महासमुद्रमेखले ग्रस ग्रस हुं हुं फट् वीराद्वैते हुं हुं हा हा महापशुमोहिनि योगेश्वरि त्वं डाकिनि सर्वलोकानां वन्दिनि सद्यःप्रत्ययकारिणि हुं फट् भूतत्रासिनि महावीरे परमसिद्धे महाविद्येश्वरि हुं हुं फट् हुं हुं फट् स्वाहा ||
OM namo bhagavati vajravārāhi āryāparājite trailokyamātre mahāvidye sarvabhūtabhayāvahe mahāvajre vajrāsane ajite aparājite vaśaṅkari viṣaśodhani krodhani karālini santrāsini suprabhedini parājaye vijaye jambhani stambhini modini vajravārāhi mahāyogini kāmeśvari khage hana hana prāṇān kiṅkiṇi kiṅkiṇi dhuna dhuna vajrahaste śoṣaya śoṣaya mahāpiśitamāṃsāśani manuṣyāntraprāvṛte mālāgrathitadhāriṇi śumbhaniśumbhe hana hana prāṇān sarvapāpasattvānāṃ sarvapaśūnāṃ māṃsacchedani krodhamūrte damṣṭrākarālini mahāmudre śrīherukadevasya agramahiṣi sahasraśire sahasrabāho śatasahasrānane jvalitatejase jvālāmukhi piṅgalalocane vajraśarīre vajrāsane mili mili timili timili he he huṃ huṃ kha kha dhu dhu dhuru dhuru muru muru advaite mahāyogini paṭhitasiddhe dre dre dhaṃ dhaṃ graṃ graṃ he he ha ha bhaume hasa hasa vīre hā hā ho ho huṃ huṃ trailokyavināśini śatasahasrakoṭi tathāgataparivārite huṃ phaṭ siṃharūpe khaḥ gajarūpe gaḥ trailokyodare mahāsamudramekhale grasa grasa huṃ huṃ phaṭ vīrādvaite huṃ huṃ hā hā mahāpaśumohini yogeśvari tvaṃ ḍākini sarvalokānāṃ vandini sadyaḥpratyayakāriṇi huṃ phaṭ bhūtatrāsini mahāvīre paramasiddhe mahāvidyeśvari huṃ huṃ phaṭ huṃ huṃ phaṭ svāhā ||
The mantra of Vajravārāhī is perfected during the two eclipses: sūrya and candrōparāga. The two associated mantras are hr̥daya and upahr̥daya:
Hr̥daya: ॐ हुं ह्रीं हां (OM huṃ hrīṃ hāṃ )
Upahr̥daya: ॐ वज्रवाराहि आवेशय सर्वदुष्टान् ह्रीं स्वाहा (OM vajravārāhi āveśaya sarvaduṣṭān hrīṃ svāhā )
Alternately, these mantras are:
Hr̥daya: ॐ वज्रवैरोचनीये हुं फट् स्वाहा (OM vajravairocanīye huṃ phaṭ svāhā )
Upahr̥daya: ॐ सर्वबुद्धडाकिनीये वज्रवर्णनीये हुं हुं फट् फट् स्वाहा (OM sarvabuddhaḍākinīye vajravarṇanīye huṃ huṃ phaṭ phaṭ svāhā )
The mantra for baliharaṇa is: ॐ ह्रीं घातय सर्वदुष्टान् हुं फट् स्वाहा (OM hrīṃ ghātaya sarvaduṣṭān huṃ phaṭ svāhā )
Vajravārāhī is the consort of Hēruka and is the presiding deity of Uḍḍiyāṇa pīṭha. The procedure for her invocation in the yuganaddha form with Hēruka is described in Chakrasamvara Tantra. In her yuganaddha form along with Paramasukha Chakrasamvara, the male (Chakrasamvara) represents form and method (upāya) as infinite compassion (karuṇā) whereas Vajravārāhī signifies emptiness (śūnyatā) and wisdom (prajñā) as infinite bliss (mahāsukha). The skull-cup of Vajravārāhī is filled with blood representing clear light and intestines representing the illusory body. Thus, the synthesis here is of harmony between absolute and relative truths with no conflict, and the union of the two to generate mahāsukha. In a different sense, the skull cup is representative of hatred, the blood of desire, and the intestines of ignorance or phenomenal existence. Ignorance, desire, and aversion are destroyed by Bhagavatī who arises as mahāprajnākārā to generate infinite bliss or mahāsukha.
The pig, in Buddhist tantric parlance, represents ignorance. As the one who destroys the basic ignorance, Vajravārāhī is praised as the personification of perfection of prajñā or wisdom. Unlike the Hindu deity Vārāhī who is represented always with a boar face, Vajravārāhī appears with a human face of semi-wrathful countenance, and the female sow juts out of her skull crown or above her left ear, signifying her complete mastery over ignorance represented by the pig. Thus the symbolism of Vārāhī is different somewhat in the Hindu and Buddhist parlance.
It is said that there were several shrines dedicated to this deity in the hoary past, which were later converted to śākta shrines by a resurgent śaiva and śākta wave. The temple at Udaipur (Himachal Pradesh) and the Vajrēśvarī temple at Hatkoi are two such shrines. She is also identified with Krōdha Kālikā, Kr̥ṣṇakrōdhinī, etc.