Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2848

c8.2848

2) How Kubera got the Puṣpaka. Vaiśravaṇa alias Kubera was the son born to Viśravas of his wife Devavarṇinī, daughter of sage Bharadvāja. Viśravas did penance to please Brahmā to get a son and Vaiśravaṇa was born by the blessing of Brahmā. Kubera also, even while he was a boy, went to the valley of Himavān and did penance there. Kubera did penance for ten thousand years with his head downwards in cold water and another ten thousand years in Pañcāgni standing on one leg. At that time Brahmā appeared in person and asked what boon he wanted. He said he wanted to be one of the lokapālakas (guardians of the universe). Granting Kubera that, Brahmā gave him two treasures named Śaṅkhanidhi and Padmanidhi and also the Puṣpakavimāna. After that Kubera built a city named Laṅkā on the mountain of Trikūṭa in the southern ocean and started living there.