Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c33.s7: Dhanada or Kubēra

Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c33.s7

Language
English

Dhanada or Kubēra

v4.c33.s7.1

The words Dhanada or Kubēra literally mean the giver of wealth or a person with a deformed body. The story of Kubēra who is also known by the name of Vaiśrāvaṇa is given in the *Uttara-kāṇḍa* of the *Rāmāyaṇa* thus:—Brahmā begot a mind-born son named Pulastya; the latter had a son named Gaviputra-Vaiśrāvaṇa. This Vaiśrāvaṇa left his father and joined Brahmā, who granted him, in return for his devotion to himself, immortality and lordship over riches and installed him in Laṅkā as his capital. Pulastya, incensed at the faithlessness of his first son, made one portion of his self be born as Viśravas, who looked with disdain upon his ungrateful brother Vaiśrāvaṇa. Vaiśrāvaṇa wishing to pacify his father presented him with three good looking Rākshasis named Pushpōtkaṭa, Mālinī and Rākā. By Pushpōtkaṭa Pulastya had two sons Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa; by Mālinī, Vibhīshaṇa; by Rākā, Khara and Sūrpanakhā. These later born sons of Pulastya being envious of Vaiśrāvaṇa’s prosperity practised austerities; pleased with them Brahmā conferred upon Rāvaṇa the boon of possessing at will any number of heads and shapes, and of being invincible except by men. Having obtained these powers Rāvaṇa came to Laṅkā, expelled Vaiśrāvaṇa and made himself the master of the place. Kubēra retired to the hill Gandhamādana. Elsewhere Vaiśrāvaṇa, Rāvaṇa and others are said to be the sons of Viśravas and also that Kailāsa became the abode of Kubēra and that his wife was Riddhi. It is somewhat strange to hear in the Rāmāyaṇa that Mahādēva went to the Kailāsa to pay a visit to Kubēra, when it is remembered that the Kailāsa is believed to be the abode especially of Mahādēva.

v4.c33.s7.2

Another account of the origin of Dhanada is to be found in the Varāhapurāṇa. When Brahmā entertained the desire to create the universe, a shower of lime-stones began to pour forth from his face attended with a hurricane. After sometime the fury of the storm broke down and everything

v4.c33.s7.3

became calm by the wish of Brahmā. He asked the mass of stones which thus fell from him to assume the form of a divine person of peaceful countenance and appointed him as the Lord of Wealth and commanded him to be also the guardian of the riches of the gods.

v4.c33.s7.4

In the Buddhist literature and mythology also Kubēra is the god of riches and the guardian deity of the northern region of the universe. He is also the lord over the *Yakshas* and is the husband of Hāritī. He has also the name Vaiśrāvaṇa (whose Prākṛit form Vassāvaṇa, is current in Ceylon) and Jambhala.

v4.c33.s7.5

The *āgamas* also recognise him as the master of the *Yakshas* and describe his figure as follows :— The colour of Kubēra according to one authority should be golden yellow and according to another crimson ; the colour of his underwear is to be red, and the upper garment, white. His person should be adorned with all ornaments, including a *kirīṭa*, or a *karaṇḍa-makuṭa*, *kuṇḍalas* and necklaces composed of a series of golden coins. He should be good looking, or even terrific looking and possessing either two or four arms : if the arms are only two, the hands may be kept in the *varada* and *abhaya* poses or the left hand may keep in it a gadā: if, on the contrary, he has four arms one of them should be embracing his consort Vibhavā and another one embracing Vr̥ddhi, seated on the left and right laps respectively of Kubēra; the remaining hands should carry the gadā and the śakti. The Viṣṇudharmōttara states that his left eye should be of yellowish brown colour (piṅgala), that he should be dressed in the fashion of the westerners (āpīcyavēsha), that his body should be protected with an armour, that he should have a pair of moustaches and that there should also be side-tusks in his mouth. All the authorities are uniform in asserting that Kubēra should have a rather big and slightly pendant belly. He may be seated on a padmapīṭha or be driving in a chariot drawn by men or even directly seated on the shoulders of a man. The Aṁśumadbhēdāgama states that the vehicle of Kubēra is a ram. To the right and left of Kubēra there should be respectively the Śaṅkhanidhi and the Padmanidhi whose descriptions are as follows: these two personifications should resemble in shape the bhūtas, that is, with short limbs attached to a large trunk and surmounted by a large face, carrying in their hands lotus flowers. They should be draped in white clothes, adorned with karaṇḍa-makuṭas and placed upon padmapīṭhas. In another place it is stated that he should

v4.c33.s7.6

be surrounded by the eight kinds of wealth and by a number of *Yakshas*.

v4.c33.s7.7

The two goddesses Vibhavā and Vriddhi should in their turn be embracing Dhanada each by one arm and carrying in the other hand a *ratna-pātra*.

v4.c33.s7.8

The *Rūpamaṇḍana* prescribes the elephant as the *vāhana* of Kubēra and states that his four hands should carry the *gadā*, a purse containing money, a pomegranate fruit and a *kamaṇḍalu*.

v4.c33.s7.9

In the Buddhist mythology, Kubēra is sculptured exactly as in the Hindu representation; but he is immediately recognised as Kubēra by a mongoose which is generally also shown either as sitting upon his left lap or placed on his left side. (See Figs. 196 and 199* in V. A. Smith's *History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon*).

Cites (5)