Vajrapāṇi is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.
Tibetan statue of Vajrapani, c. Late 1100s – Early 1200s
Parinirvana of Buddha.
Vajrapāni as Heracles or Zeus, second-century.
Vajrapani, protector of the Buddha
The Vajra is a legendary and ritualistic weapon, symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt.
A Tibetan vajra (club) and ghanta (bell)
Mahakala holding a kartika with a half-vajra handle
Indra's vajra as the privy seal of King Vajiravudh of Thailand
Five Vajrayana ritual objects at Itsukushima Shrine: a five-pronged short club (vajra) (五鈷杵, gokosho), a pestle with a single sharp blade at each end (独鈷杵, tokkosho), a stand for vajra pestle and bell (金剛盤, kongōban), a three-pronged pestle (三鈷杵, sankosho), and a five-pronged bell (五鈷鈴, gokorei).