Virūpākṣa


Virūpākṣa is a major deity in Buddhism. He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and a dharmapala.

Names

The name Virūpākṣa is a Sanskrit compound of the words virūpa and akṣa. Buddhaghosa interpreted virūpa as also meaning "various", which lends to the understanding that Virūpākṣa is endowed with clairvoyance.
Other names include:
Virūpākṣa is the guardian of the western direction. He lives on the western part of Sumeru. He is leader of the nāgas and pūtanas.
He possesses the divine eye, which allows him to see great distances as well as the karma of sentient beings.

Theravāda

In the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism, Virūpākṣa is called Virūpakkha. Virūpakkha is one of the Cātummahārājāno, or "Four Great Kings," each of whom rules over a specific direction.
He has a daughter named Kālakannī.

Japan

In Japan, Kōmokuten is commonly depicted holding a brush in his right hand and a scroll in his left hand. This iconography was used primarily in the Tempyō period, and variations appeared after the Heian period. He is commonly seen wearing Tang period military armor while trampling a jaki.
In the Womb Realm Mandala of the esoteric tradition, Kōmokuten is depicted as having red skin, holding a trident in his right hand while holding a fist with his left hand. One variation includes him wielding a snare.