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29-633: The name Vaiśravaṇa is a vṛddhi derivative (used, e.g., for patronymics) of the Sanskrit proper name Viśravaṇa from the root vi-śru "hear distinctly", (passive) "become famous". The name Vaiśravaṇa is derived from the Sanskrit viśravaṇa which means "son of Vishrava ", a usual epithet of the Hindu god Kubera . Vaiśravaṇa is also known as Kubera and Jambhala in Sanskrit and Kuvera in Pāli. Other names include: The character of Vaiśravaṇa

58-794: A lokapala . Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods or devas , each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. The Hall of Four Heavenly Kings is a standard component of Chinese Buddhist temples . The Kings are collectively named as follows: ᜐᜎᜅᜒᜆ᜔ Дөрвөн махранз Орчлоныг хамгаалах дөрвөн махранз (Orčilang-i qamaɣalaqu dörben maqaranza) Individually, they have different names and features. (Тийн сонсогч) Tiin sonsogch/tein sonosuɣči (Үлэмж биет) Ülemzh biyet/Ülemji beyetü (Орон орчиниг сахигч) Oron orchinig saxigch/Oron orčin-i sakiɣči (Эгнэгт үзэгч) Egnegt üzegch/Egenegte üjegči Namsrai Pagzhiibuu Yolxorsüren Zhamiisan All four Kings serve Śakra ,

87-526: A lotus -flower on which is a conch shell. His mount is a snow lion . Tibetan Buddhists consider Jambhala's sentiment regarding wealth to be providing freedom by way of bestowing prosperity, so that one may focus on the path or spirituality rather than on the materiality and temporality of that wealth. In Thailand , he resolves the dispute that arose in the legend of Nang Ai and Phadaeng . At Wat Chulamanee temple in Samut Songkhram Province , there

116-460: A chariot called Nārīvāhana. He is called gadāvudha (Sanskrit: gadāyudha ) "armed with a club", but he only used it before he became a follower of the Buddha. Vessavaṇa has the name "Kuvera" from a name he had from a past life as a rich Brahmin mill-owner from Sri Lanka, who gave all the produce of one of his seven mills to charity, and provided alms to the needy for 20,000 years. He was reborn in

145-582: A great sage, devoted to the study of the Vedas , and detached from earthly pleasures. Bharadvaja , in particular, was so impressed with Vishrava, that he gave him his daughter, Ilavida , in marriage. Ilavida bore Vishrava a son, Vaishravana, also called Kubera , the god of wealth, who was subsequently blessed with the rulership of Lanka by Brahma . A rakshasa named Sumali urged his daughter, Kaikasi, to seek Vishrava as her husband, promising her that their children would rival Kubera. Kaikasi finds Vishrava while he

174-557: A group of Buddhist dharmapalas who manifest to protect the Dharma. In Chinese Buddhist iconography, he holds a pagoda in his right hand and a trident in his left hand. In Chinese temples, he is often enshrined within the Hall of the Heavenly Kings (天王殿) with the other three Heavenly Kings. His name Duōwén Tiānwáng (多聞天王 lit. "listening to many (teachings)") is a reference to the belief that he guards

203-595: A lady possessing similar traits and equipped with modern weapons. In the anime Record of Ragnarok , Bishamonten also made a depiction as a fighter of the Ragnarok , representing the Gods. In the Touhou Project video game series, Shou Toramaru , a tiger yōkai, serves as a physical avatar of Bishamonten. She has the ability to gather treasures and create gemstones with her jeweled pagoda, reflecting Bishamonten's status as one of

232-401: A region there called Visāṇa ; he also has a city there called Ālakamandā which is a byword for wealth. Vessavaṇa governs the yakshas – beings with a nature between 'fairy' and 'ogre'. Vessavaṇa 's wife is named Bhuñjatī, and he has five daughters, Latā, Sajjā, Pavarā, Acchimatī, and Sutā. He has a nephew called Puṇṇaka , a yakkha, husband of the nāga woman Irandatī. He has

261-482: Is a huge statue of him that is very popular in worship, until becoming a phenomenon in the early 2022. In addition, Vaiśravaṇa also appears as the Seal of Udon Thani Province . According to the myth, Udon Thani is on the north direction, which is the resident of guardian of the north or Vaiśravaṇa. The 2011 manga Noragami , which revolves around Japanese mythology , depicts this deity's Japanese iteration Bishamonten as

290-551: Is founded upon the Hindu deity Kubera , but although the Buddhist and Hindu deities share some characteristics and epithets, each of them has different functions and associated myths. Although brought into East Asia as a Buddhist deity, Vaiśravaṇa has become a character in folk religion and has acquired an identity that is partially independent of the Buddhist tradition (cf. the similar treatment of Guanyin and Yama ). Vaiśravaṇa

319-577: Is the enemy of the snake, a symbol of greed or hatred; the ejection of jewels represents generosity. In the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism , Vaiśravaṇa is called Vessavaṇa . Vessavaṇa is one of the Cāturmahārājika deva or "Four Great Heavenly Kings", each of whom rules over a specific direction. Vessavaṇa 's realm is the northern quadrant of the world, including the land of Uttarakuru . According to some suttas, he takes his name from

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348-488: Is the guardian of the northern direction, and his home is in the northern quadrant of the topmost tier of the lower half of Sumeru . He is the leader of all the yakṣas who dwell on the Sumeru's slopes. He is often portrayed with a yellow face. He carries an umbrella or parasol ( chatra ) as a symbol of his sovereignty. He is also sometimes displayed with a mongoose , often shown ejecting jewels from its mouth. The mongoose

377-654: The Asuras , which once threatened to destroy the realm of the devas. They also vowed to protect the Buddha, the Dharma , and the Buddha's followers from danger. In Chinese Buddhism, all four of the heavenly kings are regarded as four of the Twenty Devas (二十諸天 Èrshí Zhūtiān) or the Twenty-Four Devas (二十四諸天 Èrshísì zhūtiān), a group of Buddhist dharmapalas who manifest to protect the Dharma. According to Vasubandhu , devas born in

406-479: The Hindu epic Ramayana . A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through the performance of tapasya , which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow rishis. He is best known for being the father of the primary antagonist of the Ramayana, Ravana . The birth of Vishrava is described in the Ramayana. Once, the great sage Pulastya was engaged in austerities in the ashrama of Trinabindu, on

435-460: The Seven Lucky Gods . Vishrava Ravana , Kumbhakarna , Vibhishana (sons) Surpanakha (daughter) by Kaikashi Trishira, Dushana, Vidyutjiha (sons), Malika and Asalika (daughters) by Raka Vishrava ( Sanskrit : विश्रवा , lit.   'Renown', IAST : Viśravā ), also called Vishravas , is the son of Pulastya , and a powerful rishi (sage), as described in

464-558: The Shingon tradition that gives some place and worth to this hybrid character of Bishamon although most Mahayana temples have Bishamon and his counterpart as guardians at the entrance gate. In Tibet, Vaiśravaṇa is considered a lokapāla or dharmapāla in the retinue of Ratnasambhava . He is also known as the King of the North. As guardian of the north, he is often depicted on temple murals outside

493-420: The Buddha the Āṭānāṭā verses, which Buddhists meditating in the forest could use to ward off the attacks of wild yakkhas or other supernatural beings who do not have faith in the Buddha. These verses are an early form of paritta chanting. Bimbisāra , King of Magadha , after his death was reborn as a yakkha called Janavasabha in the retinue of Vessavaṇa . In the early years of Buddhism, Vessavaṇa

522-547: The Cātummahārājikā heaven as a result of this good karma . As with all the Buddhist deities, Vessavaṇa is properly the name of an office (filled for life) rather than a permanent individual. Each Vessavaṇa is mortal, and when he dies, he will be replaced by a new Vessavaṇa . Like other beings of the Cātummahārājika world, his lifespan is 90,000 years (other sources say nine million years). Vessavaṇa has

551-537: The Cāturmahārājika heaven are 1/4 of a krośa in height (about 750 feet tall). They have a five-hundred-year lifespan, of which each day is equivalent to 50 years in our world; thus their total lifespan amounts to about nine million years (other sources say 90,000 years). The attributes borne by each King also link them to their followers; for instance, the nāgas , magical creatures who can change form between human and serpent, are led by Virūpākṣa , represented by

580-455: The authority to grant the yakkhas particular areas (e.g., a lake) to protect, and these are usually assigned at the beginning of a Vessavaṇa 's reign. When Gautama Buddha was born, Vessavaṇa became his follower, and eventually attained the stage of sotāpanna , one who has only seven more lives before enlightenment. He often brought the Buddha and his followers messages from the gods and other humans, and protected them. He presented to

609-548: The girls vanished. During this moment, Manini, the daughter of Trinabindu, who had not been present when the curse was invoked, wandered near the sage, searching for her friends. She found herself pregnant, and rushed to report her condition to her father. The sage Trinabindu requested Pulastya to marry his daughter, and the latter agreed, and so the two lived together in the ashrama. Pleased with his wife's virtuous conduct, Pulastya declared that their child would inherit her virtue, and would be named Vishrava. Vishrava grew to become

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638-517: The lord of the devas of Trāyastriṃśa . On the 8th, 14th and 15th days of each lunar month , the Kings either send out emissaries or go themselves to inspect the state of virtue and morality in the world of men. Then they report their findings to the assembly of the Trāyastriṃśa devas. On the orders of Śakra, the Kings and their retinues stand guard to protect Trāyastriṃśa from another attack by

667-416: The main door. He is also thought of as a god of wealth. As such, Vaiśravaṇa is sometimes portrayed carrying a citron , the fruit of the jambhara tree, a pun on another name of his, Jambhala . The fruit helps distinguish him iconically from depictions of Kuvera . He is sometimes represented as corpulent and covered with jewels. When shown seated, his right foot is generally pendant and supported by

696-431: The other hand, the latter symbolizing the divine treasure house, whose contents he both guards and gives away. In Japanese folklore , he is one of the Seven Lucky Gods . Bishamon is also called Tamonten (多聞天 lit. "listening to many teachings") because he is seen as the guardian of the places where the Buddha preaches. He is believed to live halfway down Mount Sumeru . He is also associated with Hachiman . Especially in

725-408: The place where the Buddha teaches. In Taoist belief, he is conflated with the god Li Jing , whose iconography incorporates many of Vaiśravaṇa's characteristics, such as carrying a pagoda. In Japan, Bishamonten (毘沙門天), or just Bishamon (毘沙門) is thought of as an armor-clad god of war or warriors and a punisher of evildoers. Bishamon is portrayed holding a spear in one hand and a small pagoda in

754-460: The rakshasas Ravana, Kumbhakarna , and Shurpanakha , and one virtuous rakshasa who had the characteristics of a Brahmin, Vibhishana . Vishrava educated Ravana regarding the practices of tapasya, yajna, and the Vedas. When Ravana claimed Lanka for himself, Vishrava counselled Kubera to accede to his half-brother's demand, to avoid conflict. Obeying his father, Kubera retired to Kailasha , and became

783-453: The slopes of Mount Meru . Even as he was engaged in a penance in solitude, he was disturbed by a number of youthful maidens, the daughters of other sages, pannagas, as well as apsaras . They played their musical instruments and danced, seeking to divert his attention. Enraged, Pulastya declared that she among them who fell under his gaze would instantly conceive. Terrified of the Brahmin's curse,

812-428: Was performing a yajna , and told him of her father's wish for her to wed him. The cognisant Vishrava informed the beautiful maiden that their children, if produced, would be rakshasas, of cruel exploits. Kaikasi prostrated herself before him, seeking children of his disposition. Vishrava agreed to wed her, though he forewarned her that only their last child would inherit his disposition. Accordingly, Kaikasi gives birth to

841-462: Was worshipped at trees dedicated to him as shrines. Some people appealed to him to grant them children. In China, Vaiśravaṇa, also known as Píshāméntiān (毗沙門天), is one of the Four Heavenly Kings , and is he is considered to be a warrior god and protector of the north. He is also regarded as one of the Twenty Devas (二十諸天 Èrshí Zhūtiān) or the Twenty-Four Devas (二十四諸天 Èrshísì zhūtiān),

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