Acala is said to be a powerful deity who protects the faithful by burning away all impediments () and defilements (Kleshas (Buddhism)), thus aiding them towards enlightenment. In a commentary on the "Mahāvairocana Tantra" by Yi Xing, he is said to have manifested in the world following Vairocana's vow to save all beings, and that his primary function is to remove obstacles to enlightenment. Indeed, the tantra instructs the ritual practitioner to recite Acala's mantras or to visualize himself as Acala in order to remove obstacles.