Wrathful Deities - Eight Dharmapalas

Eight Dharmapalas

The Eight Dharmapalas (Sanskrit: Dharma, 'religion'; Pala, 'protector'), known in Tibetan as Drag-gShed (Standard Tibetan: དྲག་གཤེད). The Dharmapalas, or defenders of Buddhism, are supernatural beings with the rank of Bodhisattva, who "are supposed to wage war without any mercy against the demons and enemies of Buddhism". The Eight Dharmapala are:

• Yama, the God of Death;
• Mahakala, the Great Black One;
• Yamantaka, the Conqueror of Death;
• Kubera or Vaisravana, the God of Wealth;
• Hayagriva, the Horse-necked one;
• Palden Lhamo, The Goddess;
• Tshangs Pa or ‘White Brahma’;
• Begtse, the God of War.