Virupa
Virupa (Skt. Virūpa; T. bi ru pa / bir wa pa བི་རུ་པ་ / བི་ཝ་པ་) (8th–9th century) was one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas of India.
Virupa is regarded as the source of the Lamdre teachings of the Sakya lineage of Tibet.[1] His teachings on the Vajra Verses form the basis for tantric theory and practice within the Sakya lineage.[2]
He is also counted among the teachers of Atisha and Dombi Heruka.[1]
According to his traditional biography, while acting as the abbot of Nalanda University, he secretly practised tantra during the night time and eventually encountered a vision of Nairatmya who provided him with subsequent empowerments. Due to his controversial tantric behavior after this event he left the university and took the name 'Virūpa' (ugly one).[3]
Virupa is not unique to any one tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and therefore can be found almost anywhere. In the Sakya tradition Virupa is typically depicted in one of six textually documented forms that follow the major events in his life story.[4]
In Nepal, Virupa is worshiped by both Buddhists and Hindus.[5] There are also at least three Virūpa-related holidays celebrated in Nepal today: 1) Mukhastami, 2) Lukumahadyah, and 3) Makar Mela.[5]
Virupa is also known by the name Tutop Wangchuk (T. mthu stobs dbang phyug མཐུ་སྟོབས་དབང་ཕྱུག་).[3]
Notes
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
External links
Virupa, Wikipedia
བི་རུ་པ་, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
Virupa, Rigpa Shedra Wiki
TBRC Profile
Virupa, Himalayan Art Resources- The Life-Song of Virūpa, Bangladesh, Facebook post
