Generally, a type of wrathful deity associated with charnel grounds. In the higher classes of Buddhist tantra, the central deity of many maṇḍalas takes the form of an heruka.

The wrathful form of Akṣobhya, buddha of the vajra family, who appears in the center of many tantric maṇḍalas. He is typicaly depicted wearing mortuary implements and wreathed in flame.

A type of bloodthirsty, charnel ground-dwelling being considered threatening to people and practitioners. In the higher classes of Buddhist tantra, the central deity of many maṇḍalas takes the form of a heruka. His practice is taught in The Tantra of Black Yamāri.

A name associated with the wrathful form of Vajrasattva and the wrathful forms of several male deities in the Vajrayāna Buddhist pantheon.