Vajrakilaya (also spelled Vajrakīlaya) is a deity in Tibetan Buddhism, particularly within the Vajrayana tradition. The name "Vajrakilaya" can be broken down as "vajra" (indestructible) and "kilaya" (peg or stake). Vajrakilaya is often depicted as a wrathful deity with multiple heads, arms, and legs, wielding a vajra (thunderbolt) in one hand and a phurba (ritual dagger) in the other.
The practice of Vajrakilaya is used for removing obstacles, cutting through ignorance, and purifying negative forces and energies. It is considered a potent method for transformation and liberation. Practitioners of Vajrayana Buddhism engage in rituals, visualizations, and mantra recitations associated with Vajrakilaya to achieve spiritual realization and protection.
Vajrakilaya is also regarded as a manifestation of the enlightened mind (bodhicitta) in a wrathful form, emphasizing the fierce compassion that destroys inner and outer obstacles on the path to awakening.