Virupa, also known as Virupaksa and Tutop Wangchuk, was born in Bengal, a 7-8th century Indian mahasiddha and yogi, and the source of important cycles of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism.
He is especially known as the source of the Lamdré system held by the Sakya school and is thus seen as the Indian founder of their lineage. A series of verses called the Vajra verses, which are pith instructions on the Hevajra tantra, are also attributed to him.
Tibetan sources mention that he was born in Tripura in East India and studied at the Somapura Mahavihara as a monk and practiced tantra, particularly Cakrasamvara. The Tibetan historian Taranatha also says that he lived in Maharashtra.
Tibetan sources further state that after years of tantric practice with no results, he gave up tantra and threw his mala in the toilet. Then he received a vision from the deity Nairatmya who became his main deity and he subsequently received teachings and empowerments from her. He eventually left the monastery and traveled throughout India teaching tantra, performing various magical feats as well as "converting non-Buddhists, destroying their images and stopping their sanguinary rituals."