Sometimes, he is shown as having three legs, only eight teeth and one eye.
Deformities such as broken teeth, three legs, three heads and four arms
are mentioned only in the later Puranas. In some Jain depictions, Kubera
is shown as a drunkard, holding a vessel of nectar in his hands.
Kubera
with Vessel of Nectar - Brass Statue
Names
The exact origin of the name Kubera is not known. However, in Sanskrit, it
means "deformed" or "monstrous", thus talking of his deformities. The name
could also have been derived from the root "kumba", which means "to
conceal". Additionally, Kuvera can also be split into "ku" (earth) and
"vira" (hero or the brave one).
Kubera is referred to by several other names, which include the following:
- As the son of Vishravas, Kubera is referred to as Vaisravana. The
term Vishravas means "fame". So, sometimes, Kubera is also considered
to be the "Son of Fame" and as Ailavila, son of Ilavila. In the Pali
language, he is Vessavana.
- The Sutta Nitapa commentary states that Vaisravana is derived from
Visana, the name of Kubera's kingdom.
- Once, Kubera got jealous of Shiva and Parvati and he cast an envious
glance on them. That resulted in him losing one of his eyes. Further,
Parvati turned this eye yellow. Thus, he gained the name,
Ekaksipingala (the one with a yellow eye).
- Since he is the God of Spirits, Kubera is sometimes referred to as
Bhutesha, like Lord Shiva.
- In his depiction of riding a man, he is also known as Nara-Vahana.
- Additionally, Kubera is also referred to Rajaraja (the King of
Kings), Dhanadhipati (Lord of Wealth), Dhanada (Giver of Wealth),
Yaksharajan (King of the Yakshas), Rakshasadhipati (Lord of the
Rakshasas), Guhyakadhipa (Lord of Guhyakas), Kinnararaja (King of the
Kinnaras), Mayuraja (King of Animals) and Nararaja (King of Men).
Interestingly, the Atharvaveda refers to him as Guhyadhipa, which
means "Lord of the Hidden" or the "God of Hiding".
Kubera in the Vishnudharmottara Purana
In the Vishnudharmottara Purana, Kubera is said to be the embodiment of
both Artha (material gains) and the Arthashastras (treatises related to
Artha). The Purana also says that his face is inclined to the left. He
also sports a mustache and beard, and has two small tusks protruding from
the ends of his mouth (thus indicating his status as an Asura). It also
represents his ability to punish or grant favours to his devotees.
Kubera's wife, Riddhi, who is seated on his left lap, represents the
journey of life. Her left hand is placed on his back and her right hand
holds a ratna-patra (jewel-pot). In Kubera's form, he holds a gada (mace -
symbol of administration of justice), a shakti (power in his left pair),
standards bearing a lion (symbolizing Artha) and a shibika (a club, which
is his weapon). The nidhi (treasures) of Padma and Shankha stand beside
him in human form, their heads emerging from a lotus and conch
respectively.
Kubera
with Wife Riddhi
Brass Statue
The Agni
Purana
prescribes methods for installing Kubera in temples. It states that his
idol should be shown as being seated on a goat, holding a club in his
hands. It also says that his image should be made of gold and should be
multi-coloured.
Earliest Depictions
Kubera first appeared in the Atharvaveda and later, in the Shatapatha
Brahmana. He made his appearance as the chief of spirits or darkness; also
as the son of Vaishravana. The Shatapatha Brahmana called him the Lord of
Thieves and Criminals. The Manusmriti gave him the respectable position of
Loka-Pala, the Protector of the World; also the Patron of Merchants.
The great epic
Mahabharata
described Kubera as the son of Prajapati Pulastya and his wife Idavida. He
was also hailed as the brother of Sage Vishrava. Kubera is sometimes
believed to have been born from a cow. However, from the Puranas, he was
considered to be the grandson of Pulastya and the son of Vishravas and his
wife, Ilavida (also called Ilavila or Devavarnini), the daughter of Sage
Bharadwaja.
Throughout all this time, though, Kubera still continued to be considered
as an Asura and was offered prayers at the end of all sacrificial rituals.
Only the Grihyasutras of Shankhayana and Hiranyakesin called him a God.
Yet, it was prescribed that he be made offerings of meat, sesame seeds and
flowers after the successful completion of sacrificial rituals. The
Gautama Dharmashastra and Apastamba described him as a man; a mere mortal
and not a God.
Kubera Acquires Godhead
Kubera attained Godhead from the time of the Puranas and the epics, the
Ramayana
and the Mahabharata. This was also the time when he started being regarded
as the Lord of Riches, a dik-pala and a lokapala. According to the
Ramayana, this exalted status was granted to him by Brahma, the Creator of
the World and the father of Pulastya, as a reward for his severe penance
and austerities. Brahma also bestowed upon him all the riches of the
world, the status of being equal with the Gods and additionally gifted him
the Pushpaka Vimana (a flying chariot). After having acquired all these,
Kubera returned to Lanka and ruled the Kingdom.
According to the Mahabharata, Brahma conferred upon him godhead, the
lordship of wealth, permanent friendship with Shiva, the status of
lokapala, the Pushpaka Vimana, the lordship of the Nairrata demons and a
son called Nalakubera/Nalakubara as well. Though he is the Lord of the
Rakshasas, some Rakshasas with more cannibalistic tendencies are
associated more with Ravana and are believed to have joined him in his war
against Rama.
Kubera is also considered the Guardian of
Travelers
and the Giver of Wealth to his devotees. Sometimes, he is described as
Lord Kameshwara and is also invoked along with Shiva at weddings. In a
sense, he is associated with fertility.
Both the Puranas and the Ramayana feature the half-brothers of Kubera.
Vishravas had married a Rakshasi called Kaikesi, who gave birth to four
Rakshasa offspring, namely, Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana and
Soorpanakha.
The Mahabharata considers Vishrava as the brother of Kubera and hence, he
is regarded as the uncle of Ravana and his siblings in this epic.
Kubera's Abode
After moving out of Lanka, Kubera settled on the Gandhamadana Mountain
near Kailasa. Sometimes, Kailasa is referred to as Kubera's abode as well.
Kubera had a grove called Chaitrartha, where the leaves were made of
jewels and the fruits were actually apsaras from the heavens. There was a
beautiful lake in the grove, called Nalini.
The Mahabharata describes in detail the magnificence of Kubera's court.
The Gandharvas and the
Apsaras
entertained him in this court. His close friend, Lord Shiva, often visited
the place, along with his consort, Parvati. The court was also attended by
other divine and semi-divine beings, including the Vidyadhara,
Kimpurushas, Rakshasas, Pishachas and the Padma and the Sankha as well,
personified in human form. Like every lokapala, Kubera has seven seers of
the North being present with him at all times.
Shiva
and Parvati
Photo Print
The resplendent city, called Alaka, was supposed to have been plundered by
Ravana once and was also attacked by the Pandava prince, Bhima, once.
Kubera's Nairrata army vanquished King Muchukunda, who in turn defeated
them later. Shukracharya, the Guru of the Asuras, is also believed to have
attacked Kubera, defeated him and stolen his vast wealth.
Kubera was a fabulous host and regularly entertained a number of
dignitaries in his place. In one such instance, he once invited the great
Sage Ashtavakra to his palace, thus gaining his grace as well.
Lord Balaji's Outstanding Loan Repayment to Kubera
According to Hindu mythology, Lord
Balaji
(an aspect of Sri Maha Vishnu) has a permanent outstanding loan, which he
keeps repaying to Kubera. This loan, which is now being repaid by devotees
in the name of donations and dakshinas made to the Tirumala Tirupati
temple, in fact forms the very basis of the great wealth of the temple.
Lord Balaji is also popularly known as Lord Venkateswara.
It all started with Lord Vishnu staying in Vaikuntha, his divine abode. He
was resting on Adisesha, the bed of snakes, in the Ocean of Milk, along
with his consort, Goddess Lakshmi. At that time, Sage Brighu came to visit
the couple, who were deeply engrossed in conversation with each other.
They were so involved in their discussion that they did not see the sage
approaching them.
Enraged and insulted, Brighu kicked the Lord on the chest, in order to
distract him. Vishnu immediately repented his actions and apologized to
the great sage. Lakshmi, however, was deeply offended by the latter's
behaviour. She resided in Vishnu's chest and so, she considered that
kicking the Lord's chest was an insult to her, as it would amount to
kicking her. feeling humiliated, she left Vaikuntha and proceeded to go
down to Earth.
Vishnu Settles in Venkata Giri
After Lakshmi left Vaikuntha, a forlorn Vishnu took his abode in an
ant-hill on the Venkata Hill, under a tamarind tree, beside the
Pushkarini. Taking pity on his condition, Brahma and Shiva took the forms
of a cow and calf respectively and started serving him. In the meantime,
Surya, the
Sun
God, informed Lakshmi of all that was happening and requested her to
take the form of a female cowherd and sell the cow and calf to the King of
Chola.
The Chola King sent the cow and calf to graze on the Venkata Hill, along
with the rest of the cattle. Realizing that the Lord resided within the
ant-hill, the cow would regularly empty her udder over the ant-hill in
order to feed him. Over a period of time, the Queen noticed that the cow
did not yield any milk and asked the cowherd to find out why. When the
cowherd discovered the cause, he tried to kill the cow by striking its
head with an axe.
At that very moment, the Lord rose from the ant-hill to protect the cow.
Seeing Vishnu bleeding, the cowherd instantly fell to the ground and died.
The cow returned to the king with bloodstains on its body. Following the
animal to the scene, the King understood what happened.
The Lord cursed the King to become an Asura for having been a cause for
all this crime and violence. When the King begged for forgiveness, Vishnu
relented and blessed him saying that his curse would eventually end when
He was presented with a Kireetam (crown) by Akasa Raja at the time of His
marriage with Padmavati.
Vishnu
also blessed the cowherd's spirit that he and his descendants would be
present to open the door to the Lord's temple, after it was built.
Vishnu Reincarnates as Srinivasa
In due course of time, the Chola King was reborn as Akasa Raja. He had no
children and hence, he conducted a yagna to beget a child. As he was
tilling the ground, he found a baby girl in a lotus flower. He named her
Alamelumanga and adopted the child. Meanwhile, Vishnu reincarnated as
Srinivasa, the son of an elderly woman-saint, Vakula Devi. She was
actually
Krishna's
foster-mother, Yashoda, in her previous birth.
Srinivasa was on a hunting trip, when he spotted Princess Padmavati
playing with her friends. Smitten by her charm, he returned home and told
his mother that he had fallen in love with Padmavati. He also told her
that he was actually Lord Vishnu and she,
Yashoda
. Vakula Devi then approached Akasa Raja with her proposal to get her son
married to his daughter.
Around this time, a fortune-teller visited Padmavati and told her that she
would eventually marry Lord Vishnu, who had at present taken birth as
Srinivasa. Overjoyed at this news, the King immediately agreed to the
proposal. Lord Vishnu then called for a conference with the Devas to gain
their permission for him to marry Padmavati.
Srinivasa Takes a Loan from Kubera
In order to meet the wedding expenses and also as proof of his own wealth,
Srinivasa took a massive loan from Kubera. It is believed that Vishnu took
1.4 million in Ramamudra Coins. The Lord promised him that he would be
repaid fully and finally, by the end of time. He also said that all the
donations made by his own devotees would be used to service the interest
accrued on the loan.
The promissory note for the same was dictated by Brahma himself and Lord
Venkateshwara penned it. Kubera had given the loan on the condition that
Vishnu would not return to Vaikuntha unless the debt was fully paid off.
Hence, Vishnu resides in Tirumala to this very day, as
Tirupati
Venkateshwara. Devotees offer huge donations to help him pay off Kubera's
debt. In return, the Lord blesses them and fulfills all their wishes.
After receiving the amount, the Lord and all the other Devas got busy with
his marriage preparations and the wedding was finally conducted with great
pomp and show, with all the Devas, Munis and various other divine beings
attending the ceremony and showering the avatara-couple with flowers,
wishes and blessings.
To date, the income received by the Tirumala Tirupati temple is estimated
to be around Rs.1,000 crore per annum. Devotees from all over the world
and from all walks of life continue to shower money and jewelry on the
Lord, in the hope that He would, in return, shower them with happiness,
health, peace and prosperity.
In Other Cultures
Kubera is popular outside India and Hinduism as well. He features
prominently in both Buddhism and Jainism.
In Buddhism
In
Buddhism,
Kubera is Jambhala or Vaisravana. In Japan, he is Bishamon. Vaisravana,
much like Kubera, is also the regent of the North, a loka-pala and the
Lord of the Yakshas. He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, each of whom is
associated with one cardinal direction.
According to Buddhist legends, Kubera is commonly equated with Panchika,
whose wife Hariti is the symbol of abundance, much like Riddhi is, in
Hinduism. The iconography of Kubera and Panchika is also more or less
similar.
In Japanese culture, Bishamon, also known as Tamon-Ten is one of the
Juni-Ten, a group of 12 Hindu deities, who are also considered to be
guardian deities. The Juni-Ten group of deities were arrived at by adding
four deities to the original group of Happou-Ten, the eight guardian
deities of the eight main directions.
In Jainism
In
Jainism,
Kubera is the attendant Yaksha of the 19th Teerthankara, Mallinath. He is
usually referred to as Sarvanubhuti or Sarvahna and is portrayed with four
faces, rainbow colours and eight arms.
As per the Digambara sect, he has three heads and wields six weapons. The
Svetambaras, on the other hand, portray him with six arms and holding
numerous weapons; also carrying a money bag and a citron fruit. He may be
shown either riding a man or an elephant. He is related to the Buddhist
Jambhala rather than the Hindu Kubera.
Worship
As Kubera the Lord of Riches and also the Divine Treasurer, he is
worshipped in many temples and shrines in India. Incidentally, he is
sometimes associated with Ganesha, the Lord of Wisdom and Fortune and the
Remover of Obstacles. There are certain prescribed pooja vidhis (rituals)
to be undertaken in order to please the deity.
Generally speaking, one can find images of Kubera etched in any
Mahalakshmi temple pillar, as he is commonly associated with the Goddess.
Some
Mahalakshmi
temples have small vigrahas or idols of Kubera, placed below the main idol
of the Goddess.
Temples
One can find several temples and shrines dedicated to the worship of the
Asura-deity, Kubera. Here is a list of some of the most prominent ones:
Sri Lakshmi Kuberar Temple at Vandalur
The Sri Lakshmi Kuberar Temple at Vandalur, Tamil Nadu, is one of the most
popular ones in South India. Located in Rathinamangalam, it is open from
5:30am to 12 noon and again, from 4pm to 8pm every day. There are some
other interesting temples around the area, including a temple featuring
108 forms of Parvati, a Kali and also a Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.
The Rajalakshmi Kubera Trust constructed the temple on 4,000 square feet
of land, which has an impressive five-tier gopuram. Lakshmi Kubera is the
main deity in this temple; the total cost of which came up to near Rs.30
lakh.
Legend
Legend has it that once Kubera went to Kailasa to take the darshan of
Shiva. There, he found him seated with Parvati. Seeing the Goddess'
splendour, he felt sorry that he had missed worshipping her for so long.
Without him being aware, one of his eyes shut automatically. At that very
moment, Parvati caught him staring at her and felt offended that he winked
at her. Angered, she made his eye burst, thus resulting in him losing one
eye. She also cursed him that he would always look ugly.
Horrified, Kubera pleaded Shiva to forgive him and explained that he had
no evil intention whatsoever. Taking pity on him,
Parvati
forgave him and let the eye grow back, though it was smaller than the
other one. He was then blessed by Shiva with the post of being the guards
of the North. Parvati also made him the Lord of wealth and material
possessions.
Kubera was given the responsibility to distribute the wealth, while
Lakshmi had to actually create it. Hence, he is mostly depicted as
showering gold coins and navaratnas (the nine gems). Performing pooja to
him is believed to enrich the devotee's life. It is even more auspicious
to perform the Sri Lakshmi Kubera Pooja.
Kuber Bhandari Temple
The Kuber Bhandari Temple is situated in the village of Karnali, near
Chanod in the Vadodara district of the state of
Gujarat.
There is an interesting legend about this temple.
Legend
Once, Lord Shiva was passing through the thick forest situated around the
banks of the River Narmada, along with his consort, Parvati. After walking
for long, Parvati felt intensely thirsty and hungry. She requested her
husband for some food and water.
Not finding any place to procure either food or water, Shiva decided that
it would be proper if he himself manifested in the form of food and water
and stayed there permanently. That would also help pilgrims in the future.
Thus, Shiva stayed there, adopting the name of Kuber Bhandari. Because of
this, he is also considered to be the Lord of food and water.
The morning rituals of this temple are elaborate. For those who wish to
explore further, there are several other temples too, in this area. The
other famous temple here is the Shaktipeetha of Ma Gayathri, which is
located quite close to this temple.
How to Get Here
One can get to Karnali either by road, directly from Vadodara or by boat
service via River Narmada. The latter takes about an hour and the ride,
which costs Rs.500, can accommodate about 12 people. The temple management
provides free lunch to all pilgrims. Those wishing to stay overnight can
book their stay in one of the several hotels in the area.
One important thing to be noted is that the temple remains closed in case
of heavy flooding of the Narmada River during the monsoon season.
Harikesavanallur Kubera Temple
A lesser known, but ancient temple of Kubera nestles in the quaint village
of Harikesavanallur, situated on the banks of the holy River, Tamaraparani
in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Once known as Kuberapuri, this
temple is believed to be about 1400 years old. The idol of Shiva here is
known by the name of Ariyanathar and Parvati is hailed as Periyanayaki.
The temple was built by Nindraseer Nedumaran, a Pandiyan ruler. He was
also referred to as Arikesavan or Koon Pandiyan. The structure was
renovated and rebuilt by Sadayawarman Kulasekara Pandiyan the First during
the 12th -13th century.
Unique Features
- This temple features a separate shrine dedicated to Kubera. Devotees
offer prayers here, hoping to get rid of their financial difficulties
and gain more wealth.
- It is said that Kubera worshipped Shiva in this very location. One
can find two Shivalingas here - Ariyanathan and Kubera Linga.
- This is regarded to be the only temple which has a shrine dedicated
to Jyeshta Devi. She is seen along with the Maanthi, the son of Lord
Shani. She is believed to help devotees get rid of the ill-effects of
the planet Chevvai or Mangal (Mars in Western astrology).
- Lord Dakshinamoorthy (an aspect of Shiva) manifests here as Medha
Dakshinamoorthy; the One with Exceptional Knowledge. Very few temples
in India have a shrine dedicated to this deity.
- There is also a shrine dedicated to the worship of Lord Ruru
Bhairava, one of the eight forms of Bhairava
(a more potent, intense form of Shiva).
- This temple features two shrines dedicated to Lord Nataraja, the
Lord of Dance. This, again, is a rarity.
The other deities here include the following:
- Lord Mukkurni Vinayaka
- Jura Devar - this is a form of Shiva with three legs. He is believed
to cure illnesses
- Saptha Kanyas, including Bramhi, Mahaswari, Vaishnavi, Kaumari,
Varahi, Narasimhi and Chamundi
- Shani Bhagavan or the planet Saturn as per Western astrology
Sri Kuberapureeshwarar Temple
As per legend, Kubera once travelled to Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, in order to
worship the Shiva here. The temple, small in size, was situated at the
border of Thanjavur District, before the present-day Brihadeeshwara Temple
(now known as Periya Koil or Big Temple) came into existence.
The Lord Thanjapureeshwarar, who reigns supreme here, is venerated as the
One who offers asylum to all those who surrender to Him. Kubera had lost
all his wealth, power and status to Ravana, who had also usurped his
kingdom, Lanka. So he decided to visit all
Shiva
temples, so that he could retrieve all that he had lost at the hands of
his evil half-brother.
Now, Thanjavur represents the name of Lord Thanjapureeshwarar. Since he
restored Kubera to his former glory, the Lord here is also known by the
name of Kuberapureeshwarar. Sri Mahalakshmi occupies her place near Kubera
as Dhanalakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and Dhairya Lakshmi (Goddess of
Courage).
The temple is open from 6:00am -11:00am and from 4:00pm-8:00pm.
Festivals
The most important festivals associated with this temple are Margazhi
Tiruvadhirai (December-January), Maha Shivaratri (February-March), Panguni
Uthiram (March-April), Deepavali (October-November) and Tirukarthigai
(November-December).
Fridays are also associated with Kubera worship. Devotees pray to him on
this day, asking for peace and prosperity. They propitiate the deity by
performing abhishekas and offering vastras (clothes).
Chettikulam Sri Kuberar Temple
The Ekambareshwarar Temple in the village of Chettikulam in Perambalur
District of Tamil Nadu is famous for more than just the image of Shiva.
The presiding deities here are Sri Ekambareshwarar and Sri Kamatchi Ambal.
The unique feature of this temple is its Kubera sculpture, showing the
deity on his Matsya
vahana
(fish vehicle). This is installed in 12 spots around the temple, thereby
representing the 12 zodiac signs. Chettikulam Kubera is depicted seated,
along with his wife Chitrakala, also on a fish. The Sanganidhi and
Padmanidhi are shown with them as well.