Indrabhuti

Indrabhuti (Skt. Indrabhūti) aka Indrabodhi, can refer to several kings from Oddiyana or Zahor who were key figures in the early transmission of the Vajrayana teachings:

1. Indrabhuti the Great or Elder (Wyl. in dra bhu ti chen po)
2. Indrabhuti the Intermediate or Second (Wyl. in dra bhu ti bar pa)
3. Indrabhuti the Younger (Wyl. in dra bhu ti chung ba or in dra bhu ti chen po'i sras), aka Lawapa, Kambalapāda, or Shakraputra — the son of Indrabhuti the Great
4. Indrabhuti, the King of Oddiyana, who was the adoptive father of Padmasambhava. See Padmasambhava's Biography

King Dza or Ja (Wyl. rgyal po dza) of Zahor, the first human recipient of the Mahayoga teachings as well as an important figure in the transmission of Anuyoga, has been varyingly identified with either one of the first three Indrabhutis.

Dudjom Rinpoche writes:

Some say that King Ja was none other than Indrabhuti the Great, who had been empowered by [Buddha Shakyamuni] himself, but others maintain that he was Indrabhuti's son. Some even believe him to have been [Indrabhuti the Intermediate]. Thus, there are various dissimilar opinions; but, because ordinary persons cannot imagine the emanations of great sublime beings, perhaps they are all correct! And yet, upon examination of the chronology, we find he is described as a contemporary of master Kukkuraja. For this reason, he may well be an intermediate Indrabhuti. Moreover, the great accomplished master Kambalapada and this king are contemporary, whether or not they are in fact one and the same person. He is also the approximate contemporary of Vidyavajra, Saroruha, and Jalandharipa.

Further Reading

• Nathan Katz, 'A Translation of the Biography of the Mahāsiddha Indrabhūti, with Notes' in Bulletin of Tibetology, vol. 12, no. 1 (1975), pp. 25-29.