Virūpa

Virupa (Sanskrit: Virūpa; Tib. bi ru pa or bir wa pa,lit. 'ugly one'), also known as Virupaksa and Tutop Wangchuk, was a 7-8th century Indian mahasiddha and yogi, and the source of important cycles of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism.

Virūpa, 16th century. It depicts a famous episode in his hagiography when he stopped the sun in the sky.[1]

He is especially known as the source of the Lamdré ("path-fruit", Skt. mārga-phala) system held by the Sakya school and is thus seen as the Indian founder of their lineage.[2] A series of verses called the Vajra verses, which are pith instructions on the Hevajra tantra, are also attributed to him.[3][4]

Tibetan sources mention that he was born in Tripura in East India and studied at the Somapura Mahavihara as a monk and practiced tantra, particularly Cakrasamvara. The Tibetan historian Taranatha also says that he lived in Maharashtra.[2][5] Alternatively, Indian sources such as the Navanathacaritramu detail that he was born in Maharashtra around the Konkan region to a pious Brahmin couple.[6]

Tibetan sources further state that after years of tantric practice with no results, he gave up tantra and threw his mala in the toilet. Then he received a vision from the deity Nairatmya who became his main deity and he subsequently received teachings and empowerments from her.[7] He eventually left the monastery and traveled throughout India teaching tantra, performing various magical feats (siddhis) as well as "converting non-Buddhists (tirthikas), destroying their images and stopping their sanguinary rituals."[8]

According to Indologist James Mallinson, a text called the Amṛtasiddhi, which is the earliest confirmed text to teach Hatha yoga techniques, is attributed to Virupa.[2] He also appears as a mahasiddha in various non-Buddhist texts, especially Nath works.[2]