Vaishravana – the heavenly king of the North Direction

About Vaishravana

Vaishravana is the guardian king of the North direction. He is the most powerful of the four Buddhist kings (Dhritarashtra, Virudhaka, Virupaksha) of the four cardinal directions. He is the lord of Yakshas. His abode is Alkapuri in the Himalayas. Alkapuri is abounding in wealth and magnificence. His others names are Kubera and Jambhala. His consort is Vasundhara – the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Hindus (and Jains) worship Kubera too.

Origin of the name Vaishravana

There are several theories about the origin of His name Vaishravana. According to the one, He got this name from his father, the sage Vishrava. Vaishravana performed austerities for thousand years. His austerities pleased Lord Brahma, who granted him the immortality.

The name Vaishravana also means the “Great Fame”. Another meaning of the word is the “Hearer of many teachings”.

The other names of Vaishravana

He carries Citron in one of his hands – the fruit of the Jambhara tree. It gives Him another name Jambhala.

His another name was Gadayudha as before becoming a follower of Buddha he always carried a mace with him.

He protects Buddha with His army of Yakshas. He sends his son Nada for the protection of the troops fighting for the cause of Buddhism.

Significance of Vaishravana worship

Vaishravana is worshiped both as the protector and the benefactor. He is famous for His generosity; He protects the devotees who practice self-discipline, and assures and confers Longevity, Riches, Health, Pleasure and Fame to the devotees who are the practitioners of Dharma.

He thus provides both the spiritual and materialistic growth to His pious devotees.

Vaishravana is the primary protector of the Gelugpa Sect since the fourteenth Century.
He is also a patron deity of many monasteries as He promised that no monastery will suffer poverty or lack of funds as long as its residents are pure in their observation of the monastic views and the conduct.

Vaishravana is the most suitable Dharampala for those who are beginning to turn their minds towards Dharma.

Iconography of Vaishravana

Vaishravana has plump figure. He wears a crown, long and flowing scarf, ribbons, full battle armored garb and jewelry. His face has stern expression, bushy eyebrows, a beard and the eyes are wide and round. His breath is harmful and so He keeps his mouth tightly closed.

Vaishravana holds a gem spewing mongoose in His left hand. The mongoose represents Vaishravana’s victory over the Nagas. The gem-spewing depiction of the mongoose represents the benevolence of the deity in giving the blessings for the prosperity. As God of wealth, He squeezes the mongoose and makes it spew out the jewels. It is thus customary to keep an image of the Vaishravana in the treasury room or the jewelry box. He is represented in three forms.

Black Form

In the black-face form, pot-belly Vaishravana sits sideways on a dragon with his right foot down and his knees up. He holds a wish full-filling gem in His right hand.

White Form

In the White-face form, He holds a banner in His right hand and a mongoose in His left hand showing both wealth and protection. He seats on a powerful celestial dragon that signifies power and good fortune. The banner in His right hand causes showers of wealth by His merely shaking it.

Yellow Form

In the Yellow-face form, Vaishravana, sits on a white-lion with green-mane. Lion is a proud and majestic vahan. They also represents Bodhisattvas in Buddhism who have attained a high level of spiritual growth. In this form the deity carries a flag (dhwaja) in His right hand and jewel spewing mongoose in His left hands. He wears crown and jewel particular to His rank.

Well, I completed writing about all the four guardian kings in Buddhism. The four kings decided to reside in the four directions of the mount Meru for preserving and protecting the Buddhism by taking the form of world protectors. These Guardian Kings generated their altruistic mind and began to practice the conduct prescribed for the Bodhisattvas. They performed religious services for those Buddha’s who appeared in this Kalpa of light (Pradipakalpa).

Devotees who take refuge in three jewels, observe the prescribed percepts and protect the beneficial dharma of Buddhism are guarded as well as protected by these protectors of the four directions. These Kings dot the true devotees of Buddhism as a mother dots her son.

References

Buddhist Deities and Masters – An introduction by Chandra B Sakya

The iconography of Nepalese Buddhism by Min Bahadur Shakya

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