This 16″ Vajravarahi statue is fully fire gilded in 24K gold throughout — figure, details, and ornamentation in a single unified golden surface that reflects the blazing quality of the pristine awareness she embodies. The statue was handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master Newar artisans using the traditional lost wax sculpting method. At 16″ this is a substantial altar figure suited to a formal shrine room or Dharma center. Learn more about Vajravarahi’s iconography and symbolism in our complete Vajrayogini statues guide.
Vajravarahi is the fully wrathful form of Vajrayogini and her primary identifying feature is the sow’s head (varahi) rising above her right ear — the symbol from which she takes her name. The sow in Buddhist iconography represents the most fundamental form of ignorance — the root delusion that generates all other defilements and sustains the cycle of rebirth. Its presence on Vajravarahi’s head, rising and being subjugated, signifies the uprooting of that ignorance at its deepest level, not merely its suppression at the surface. In the Kagyu and Sakya schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Vajravarahi practice is one of the most important yidam practices — considered particularly effective precisely because the fully wrathful form brings the maximum force to the removal of the most deeply rooted obstacles. Where Vajrayogini’s semi-wrathful appearance speaks to both beauty and power, Vajravarahi’s fully wrathful form leaves nothing in reserve: she is the complete and unconditional expression of wisdom-energy deployed against delusion. Tibetan Buddhists regard her as the embodiment of complete Buddhahood in female form — an enlightened Buddha, not merely a Bodhisattva or a protector. Have questions? Read our Dakini statues FAQ.
Vajravarahi Statue Features
In her right hand Vajravarahi wields the kartika (curved flaying knife) and in her left she holds the kapala (skull cup, filled with blood symbolizing the transmutation of life-force into bliss-wisdom). She wears the skin of a tiger around her waist and a crown of five skulls — representing the subjugation of the five aggregates of grasping and the transformation of the five poisons (greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and jealousy) into the five wisdoms. The khatvanga staff rests against her left shoulder, its triple skull finial representing liberation from the three worlds of desire, form, and formlessness, and its presence signifying her inseparable union with Chakrasamvara (Heruka). She dances in the Dakini stance on a human corpse — representing the complete subjugation of all negativity — within the flames of pristine awareness that consume all neurotic states obstructing realization.
Authentic, Handmade in Nepal
Every statue and ritual item is handcrafted in Patan, Nepal, using traditional lost wax casting and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal's Department of Archaeology, verifying its materials, technique, and origin.
