The wrathful face emphasizes his power and compassion, representing Buddhism's fierce guardian ideal. On the one hand, he holds a vajra (thunderbolt), a potent symbol of unbreakable strength and knowledge that represents the capacity to cut through misconceptions and ignorance, and in another hand wielding a demon-binding lasso. His skull crown and the flames that frequently surround him represent his mastery of death and the transforming ability he possesses to purify harmful forces.

In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Vajrapani is a well-known god who represents the might and power of all the Buddhas. He is both a protector and a guide, embodying the strength and will be needed to push past ignorance and roadblocks on the way to knowledge. Renowned for his capacity to safeguard the Dharma and aid adherents in their spiritual quest, Vajrapani is shown as a powerful, powerful figure brandishing a vajra, or thunderbolt scepter.