But unlike the historical Buddha, who left the world upon his death, the bodhisattva has opted to stay in the world to help humans become enlightened.
For this reason, the bodhisattva embodies not only wisdom but also compassion.
By compassion, we mean that the bodhisattva cares so much about helping all beings find enlightenment that he altruistically (selflessly) gives up his own progress to enlightenment.
Hence wisdom and compassion are typically presented in combined form in Mahayana Buddhism.
If one had only wisdom and no compassion, one would be like an arhat, or ascetic, seeking enlightenment through meditation or other practices in a solitary way in the forest