Among the nature-deities the tale under discussion depicts as confronting Padmasambhava, two (see below) are among the nine deities known as bod kyi srid pa chags pa’i lha, meaning the original deities of Tibet, whose function is to protect the land and people of Tibet.

This paper analyzes the depiction of nature-deities in the 14th-century Padma bka’thang, focusing on the supernatural conflict between Padmasambhava and Tibetan deities resisting his arrival. It interprets this confrontation as a reflection of deeper cultural and religious dynamics during Tibet’s early Buddhist era.