It is Manjusri who changed his peaceful demeanor into the nine-headed terrible one called Yamantaka and defeated Yama, the God of Death. Manjusri is usually seen holding a sword and a sacred book of Buddhist scriptures which is balanced on a blue lotus, and is often pictured riding on a golden haired lion, which represents his power over the forces of life and death. This Tibetan bronze Manjusri is in lotus posture on a lotus base, gracefully presenting the vitarka mudra with his left hand, while the right is raised up to hold the sword. His lithe body bends slightly to his right, the gentle face with downcast eyes and full-lipped smile delineated with fine hand-chasing. He is adorned with foliate crown, earrings and necklaces and wears an embroidered dhoti with celestial scarves unfurling about the figure, adding to the sense of movement in the linear rhythms and arabesques that animate the work.