The “Lord of Secrets”, Dharmevajra is an emanation of Samantabhadra and Vajradhara as the requester and compiler of the tantric teachings.
According to the “Historical Origin of the Teachings of the Assemblage of Sugatas” (bde gshegs ‘dus pa’i bka’i byung tshul), a terma revealed by Nyang Ral Nyima Özer, the Eight Sadhana Teachings of the Dharma Cycle of the Assembly of Sugatas were transmitted from Buddha Samantabhadra to Dharmevajra, Ḍākinī Leyki Wangmo, the eight Indian Vidyādharas, and to Guru Rinpoche.
“The great Vajradhara, the lord who encompasses all families, is, among his various names and forms, known in the context of dharmakaya as Samantabhadra; while when manifesting as a form-body with the major and minor marks he is called Vajradhara or the buddhas of the five families. At the time of appearing as the nirmanakaya to guide beings he is the King of the Shakyas and the other buddhas of the ten directions…When for a specific purpose he needed to appear as a requester or compiler, he is the one who manifests in the forms of Vajrasattva, Vajra Garbha, Dharmevajra, Vajrapani and so forth.” 1Wellsprings of the Great Perfection: The Lives and Insights of the Early Masters, trans. by Erik Pema Kunsang, ed. By Erik Pema Kunsang, Marcia Binder Schmidt, Michael Tweed, Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 2012, p. 16.
