The bodhisattva of universal virtue and practice often paired with Manjushri in Mahayana Buddhism is Samantabhadra. His name is commonly translated as “Universal Worthy” or “Universal Virtue.”
Samantabhadra represents committed practice, meditation, ethical action, and the vows that turn Buddhist insight into compassionate conduct. In the Avatamsaka Sutra, he is associated with ten great vows, including honoring the Buddhas, confessing misdeeds, requesting the teaching of the Dharma, and responding to living beings according to their needs.
The pairing with Manjushri expresses a complementary relationship. Manjushri embodies transcendent wisdom, while Samantabhadra embodies practice and action. In Chinese Buddhism, where Samantabhadra is called Puxian, he is frequently shown riding a six-tusked white elephant. In Japan he is known as Fugen Bosatsu.
The pairing varies by artistic and doctrinal context. In Shakyamuni triads, Samantabhadra and Manjushri flank the historical Buddha. In Huayan imagery, however, the two bodhisattvas flank Vairocana, the central Buddha of the Avatamsaka tradition. Samantabhadra should also not be confused with the distinct primordial Buddha of the same name in Tibetan Nyingma traditions.