Rahula: The Gaze That Devours Illusion

Rahula - གཟའ་རཱ་ཧུ་ལ། - 拉胡罗天神

Among the most fearsome and enigmatic protectors of the Dharma is Rahula, known in Tibet simply as Za. He is a deity not only of terrifying form but also of unrelenting vision, whose very presence reveals the fate of ego, deception, and spiritual betrayal. Half-serpent and half-monstrous being, Rahula emerges from ancient myth and Tantric symbolism to become a cosmic guardian of uncompromising truth. 

His body is adorned with ominous features: a thousand eyes that penetrate every hidden thought, a gaping mouth in his torso that swallows the sun and moon, and nine fierce heads that scream through the void. He wears human skin, is crowned with a raven that brings madness, and coils around the corpse of the ego itself. There is no hiding from Rahula as his gaze serves as both a mirror and an executioner. 

Iconography of Rahula

    The One Who Swallowed the Sky

    In an ancient Indian legend, Rahu was a titan who disguised himself in a bid to steal the gods' nectar. He was exposed by the sun and moon, leading Vishnu to cut off his head. However, Rahu continued to exist in the sky, transforming into the dragon's head. He sought vengeance on his betrayers by swallowing them periodically, earning the title of the lord of the eclipse. This is why he is often portrayed as a reddish-blue deity holding the sun and moon. 

    Rahula is seen as the destroyer of Rahu. Like how Yamantaka represents Yama, the Lord of Death, Rahula embodies traits of Rahu to defend the Dharma by threatening its adversaries with an eclipse. His dark figure, decorated with numerous eyes, resembles a starlit night. Furthermore, the wide mouth in his belly symbolizes the act of swallowing the sun and moon. 

    References

    Vessantara. (2008). A guide to the deities of the Tantra. Meeting the Buddhas.

    Other forms of Rahula

      Commonly associated with

        Rahula