कुबेर
[kubera] IAST: KUBERA
Genealogy
Descended from विष्णु thus: ब्रह्मा -- पुलस्त्य -- विश्रवस् -- कुबेर .
Birth
पुलस्त्य Prajāpati wedded मानिनी alias हविर्भू , daughter of sage तृणबिन्दु , and a son called विश्रवस् was born to them, विश्रवस् married इलिबिला alias दैववर्णिनी , daughter of भरद्वाज . रावण कुम्भकर्ण and विभीषण were the sons of विश्रवस् by another wife. (Refer to the genealogy of Rāvaṇa) . विश्रवस् was childless for long, and the above mentioned four sons were the fruits of the boon granted him by ब्रह्मा , whom he pleased by austerities. (For details see under Viśravas, Para 1)
कुबेर 's attainment of eminence
Once during कृतयुग the देवस् went to वरुण , and after performing a यज्ञ for कुबेर they told him thus: "In future you live in the ocean itself as देव of all rivers, and let the ocean and the rivers obey you. As in the case of the moon you too will experience waxing and waning." From that day onwards कुबेर became the lord of oceans, rivers, streams etc. and all of them together gave him immense wealth. शिव became a particular friend of कुबेर . [mh-9-47-1 ]
कुबेर in लङ्का
Afterwards कुबेर performed penance for ten thousand years in water with head submerged, to please ब्रह्मा . Yet, ब्रह्मा did not appear. Then he performed penance standing on one foot in the centre of पञ्चाग्नि . ब्रह्मा appeared and asked him to choose any boon. कुबेर requested that he might be made a लोकपालक (protector of the universe) and the custodian of wealth, and ब्रह्मा responded by supplying कुबेर the treasures शङ्ख निधि and पद्मनिधि and also the पुष्पक विमान as vehicle. He was also appointed one of the अष्टदिक्पालकस् . (Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, कुबेर and Īśa are the eight protectors of the eight regions). कुबेर 's city is called महोदय .
कुबेर felt really happy and told his father विश्रवस् about his new status and dignity. The father also blessed the son. कुबेर requested his father to get a city built for him to live in, and his father asked him to settle down in लङ्का built by मय on top of the mountain त्रिकूट in the middle of the south sea. From that day onwards कुबेर took his abode in लङ्का . (It was originally built for Indra) .
Old history of लङ्का
Once upon a time when ब्रह्मा was repeating the Vedas he felt hungry. He was annoyed that at that untimely hour he should have felt hungry, and from his angry face emerged the राक्षस called हेति . From his hunger emerged the यक्ष called प्रहेति . The राक्षस turned out to be an unrighteous being, and the यक्ष a righteous person. हेति married भया , daugher of काल , and a son विद्युत्केश was born to them, who wedded सालकटङ्का , daughter of सन्ध्या . To them were born a child, whom they forsook in the valley of mountain मन्थर and went their own. way. शिव and पार्वती came that way just then, saw the forsaken child and blessed it. At once the child became a youth. शिव named him सुकेश , and he married देववती , the daughter of a गन्धर्व called मणिमय . To them were born three sons called माल्यवान् , सुमाली . and माली . Thanks to the blessings of शिव all of them became youths as soon as they were born. By means of penances they secured from ब्रह्मा the boon to conquer the three worlds.
They then returned to their father. They did not relish the advice of their father to lead a righteous life. They went round the three worlds harassing people. मय built for them the city called लङ्का on the top of the Mountain त्रिकूट .
There is a story about the origin of त्रिकूट . Once a controversy arose between वासुकि and वायु as to who was the greater of the two. To prove that he was greater than वायु , वासुकि enveloped with his body mountain महामेरु so that वायु (wind) could not enter it, and वायु tried to blow off the mountain with the result that a dust storm concealed the whole world from view. The देवस् took refuge in विष्णु , who pacified वासुकि , and he then unwound one coil round the mountain. वायु took advantage of the opportunity and swept off one peak of the mountain to the South into the sea, and that peak is त्रिकूट .
माल्यवान् , सुमाली and माली settled down in लङ्का , and they married सुन्दरी , केतुमती and वसुधा , the three daughters of नर्मदा , a गन्धर्व woman. Seven sons called वज्रमुष्टि , विरूपाक्ष , दुर्मुख , सुप्तघ्न यज्ञकोश , मत्त and उन्मत्त and a daughter called नला were born to माल्यवान् and सुन्दरी . Ten sons called प्रहस्त , अकम्प , विकट , कालकामुख , धूम्राक्ष , दण्ड , सुपार्श्व , संह्राद , प्रक्वात and भासकर्ण and four daughters called वेका , पुष्पोत्कटा , कैकसी and कुम्भीनसी were born to सुमाली and केतुमती . Four sons called अनल , अनिल , अह and सम्पाति (these four were the ministers of विभीषण ) were born to माली and वसुधा .
When the harassments of the राक्षसस् became unbearable the देवस् sought protection from शिव , and इन्द्र detailed to him about the unrighteous actions of माल्यवान् , सुमाली and माली . शिव directed the देवस् to विष्णु , who set out, to fight against the राक्षसस् . माली cut at गरुड , and विष्णु killed him ( माली ) with his सुदर्शन चक्र . The other राक्षसस् retreated to लङ्का . As their presence in लङ्का was dangerous to the देवस् , विष्णु directed the सुदर्शन चक्र to go to लङ्का every day and kill the राक्षसस् in groups. The चक्र began its work, and the remaining राक्षसस् escaped to पाताल . लङ्का became thus deserted and कुबेर took his abode there. The यक्षस् , born from the hunger of ब्रह्मा roamed about without a leader and ultimately settled down in लङ्का under the leadership of कुबेर . (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa)
कुबेर left लङ्का
The other sons of विश्रवस् like रावण returned with boons from ब्रह्मा for the conquest of the earth, and the first thing रावण did was to drive away his brother कुबेर from लङ्का . He also took by force the पुष्पक विमान of कुबेर , who cursed रावण thus: "This will never be your vehicle, but will become that of his, who kills you."
कुबेर , with the यक्षस् , किन्नरस् etc. went north and settled on mount गन्धमादन . [mh-3-275-1 ] .
Kubera's सभा
The assembly hall of कुबेर is 100 yojanas in length and 100 yojanas wide. High walls surround the city. In the centre of the city is a beautiful mansion studded with gems where कुबेर sits surrounded by thousands of women. मारुत देव carrying fragrance from कल्पवृक्ष worships him. गन्धर्व and अप्सरा women entertain कुबेर with music. मिश्रकेशी , रम्भा , मेनका , उर्वशी , चित्रसेना , शुचिस्मिता , घृताची , पुञ्जिकस्थला , विश्वाची , सहजन्या , प्रम्लोचा , वर्गा , सौरभेयी , समीची , बुद्बुदा , and लता are the chief among them. मणिभद्र ( माणिभद्र ), धनद , आश्वेत , भद्र , गुह्यक , कशेरक , गण्डकण्डु , प्रद्योत , महाबल , क , तुम्बुरु , पिशाच , गजकर्ण , विशाल , वराहकर्ण , ताम्रोष्ठ , हलकक्ष , हलोदक हंसचूड , शङ्खावर्त , हेमनेत्र , विभीषण , पुष्पानन , पिङ्गलक , शोणितोद , प्रवालक , वृक्षबाष्पनिकेत , चीरवासस् and नलकूबर are the chief members in the court of कुबेर . शिव , a good friend of कुबेर , very often visits him. गन्धर्वस् and sages like विश्वावसु , हाहा , हूहू , पर्वत , तुम्बुरु and शैलूष live in कुबेर 's assembly. नारद told धर्मपुत्र that the कुबेरसभा was thus always sweet and pleasant. [mh-2-10-1 ] .
Fight between कुबेर and रावण
कुबेर got secret information that the देवस् and the ब्रह्मिन्स् had decided jointly to complain to महाविष्णु about their unbearable harassment by रावण . He sent a messenger to his brother रावण warning him to lead a more righteous life. रावण got so much enraged at the advice of his brother that he cut the messenger into pieces and served as food to the राक्षसस् .
रावण mobilised his army against कुबेर and the देवस् , and decided first to attack कुबेर . At the head of a huge army led by heroes like महोदर , प्रहस्त , मारीच , शुक , सारण , वज्रदंष्ट्र , धूम्राक्ष , विरूपाक्ष , यूपाक्ष , महापार्श्व , मत्त , उन्मत्त , विकट , सुप्तघ्न , यज्ञान्तक , मकराक्ष , कुम्भकर्ण , अतिकाय and अक्षकुमार , रावण marched to अलकापुरी where a fierce battle ensued between रावण 's and कुबेर 's armies. Many यक्षस् were killed by रावण 's army, and the यक्ष hero मणिचर killed a large number of राक्षसस् . As a last resort रावण thrashed मणिचर on the head with a club and this turned the hair on his head to one side. From that day मणिचर came to be known as पार्श्वमौलि (head turned to one side). In the fight that followed between कुबेर and रावण the former fell down unconscious. But, the यक्षस् brought two विमानस् and carried कुबेर to the palace. रावण plundered कुबेर 's palace and carried off to लङ्का a lot of costly gems and other wealth. (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa)
Kubera became a Chameleon
King मरुत्त once performed a महेश्वर यज्ञ to which were invited इन्द्र , वरुण , कुबेर and काल . While the यज्ञ was progressing रावण came that way with his army. इन्द्र and the others, in great fear, ran away and escaped disguised in various forms, कुबेर assuming the form of a chameleon. After resuming his own form कुबेर gave the Chameleon the gift to change its colour. It was further blessed that to the onlookers it would seem that there was gold on its cheeks. (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa)
कुबेर cursed विरूपाक्ष
कुबेर had a यक्ष called विरूपाक्ष as Manager, and he was in charge of कुबेर 's treasures also. विरूपाक्ष had employed a gigantic यक्ष to look after the treasures outside the capital. One day a ब्राह्मिन् called पाशुपत came in search of treasures to अलकापुरी . He knew a very peculiar art, which is he would go about with a lamp lighted with 'the ghee of men' (oily substance extracted from human body) and the lamp would tumble down from his hands on earth exactly on spots where treasures lay hidden. पाशुपत tried to unearth कुबेर 's treasures by the above means, and विरूपाक्ष who got scent of the brāhmin's activities got him killed. Since a brāhmin ( पाशुपत ) was killed the sin of ब्रह्महत्या affected the यक्ष community, and angered at this कुबेर cursed विरूपाक्ष into a man, and he was born on earth as the son of a brāhmin. विरूपाक्ष 's wife complained about this curse to कुबेर , who told her that she would be born as a daughter of the maidservant of the brāhmin as whose son her husband was born, and that he (son) would marry her. कुबेर , further told her that association with her would redeem विरूपाक्ष from the curse and that both of them would return to him. Accordingly she lay as a human child at the gates of a brāhmin maid-servant, who took it to her master. The child and the brāhmin's son grew up together in his father's house, and in due course they were wedded to each other. They felt so happy as though at a reunion after a long separation. First the brāhmin boy and after him his wife expired, and they returned to अलकापुरी . (Kathāsaritsāgara)
कुबेर and emperor पृथु
While emperor पृथु was ruling the land in the best interests of his subjects, mountains, trees, देवस् , असुरस् , सप्तर्षिस् , राक्षसस् etc. came to the earth and sang his praises, and as ordered by the emperor the earth turned itself into a cow and they milked her. It was कुबेर who served as calf when the राक्षसस् began to milk the cow. [mh-7-69-24 ] .
The देवस् crowned पृथु as emperor, and, on that occasion imperial symbols were presented to him. The throne was presented by कुबेर ; the royal umbrella by वरुण ; the crown by इन्द्र and the sceptre by यम . (Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha Chapter 15, Verses 14 and 15) .
कुबेर cursed तुम्बुरु
The यक्ष called तुम्बुरु once displeased कुबेर , who cursed him into a राक्षस . He was to be redeemed from the curse on his death at the hands of श्री राम . तुम्बुरु , who was born as विराध , the राक्षस in दण्डकारण्य attacked राम and लक्ष्मण during their stay in exile in the forest and was killed by them. He was cremated in the forest. He resumed his former form as तुम्बुरु and returned to कुबेर 's palace. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa, Canto 4) .
कुबेर became पिङ्गलाक्ष
कुबेर once looked with jealousy at पार्वती seated on the left thigh of शिव , and therefore, he became blind in one eye. When पार्वती regained her equanimity she turned that eye of कुबेर into yellow in colour so that he might always remember the incident. Henceforth कुबेर came to be known as एकपिङ्गल .
अगस्त्य cursed कुबेर
कुबेर also was invited to the chanting of mantras held by the देवस् at कुशावती . कुबेर was on his way to कुशावती with मणिमान् when the latter spat on the head of अगस्त्य , who was performing penance on the banks of river कालिन्दी . अगस्त्य cursed them thus:--"Oh कुबेर , your attendant मणिमान् has insulted me. Therefore, he himself and the army will be killed by a man. You will grieve over their death. But, you will be absolved from this curse at the sight of the man, who had killed मणिमान् and his army."
भीमसेन , who went to mount गन्धमादन in search of the सौगन्धिक flower could kill मणिमान् and his soldiers because of this curse of अगस्त्य . After killing मणिमान् , भीम saw कुबेर in person, and the latter got absolved from the curse. [mh-3-161-1 ] .
Other information about कुबेर
He comforted the पाण्डवस् once during their life in exile in the forest. [mh-3-161-41 ] .
During the war with रावण when श्री राम fainted on the field, it was the water, purified by mantras, which कुबेर sent through the यक्ष , गुह्यक , which brought राम back to consciousness.
कुबेर once cursed the यक्ष called स्थूणकर्ण . He went to live in forest अम्बा the woman became a male by getting the penis of स्थूणकर्ण . (See under Ambā and Sthūṇakarṇa) .
शुक्राचार्य once gave कुबेर a lot of wealth. [mh-6-6-23 ] .
A King called मुचुकुन्द once fought with कुबेर . [mh-12-74-4 ] . See under मुचुकुन्द .
शुक्र once carried off all the wealth of कुबेर , who complained to शिव about it. शिव , in anger, raised his शूल , when शुक्र stood on its top and pressed it down. शिव threw शुक्र off but he fell into the palms of शिव who threw him again. शुक्र then entered the stomach of शिव and roamed about there finding no path to get out. शिव waited with the शुल to kill शुक्र the moment he came out of his ( शिव 's) stomach. शुक्र came out as शिव 's son, and पार्वती prevented शिव from killing शुक्र on the plea that it was not proper to kill one's own son. शुक्र thus escaped and कुबेर lost some of his wealth. [mh-12-289-1 ] .
On another occasion कुबेर entertained sage अष्टावक्र . [mh-13-19-37 ] .
कुबेर should be installed in temples as seated on a goat with club in his hand. (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 51) .
The name of कुबेर 's wife was भद्रा . [mh-1-198-6 ] .
कुबेर is called नरवाहन also as he rides in a vehicle drawn by men. He is also called राजराज , as he is King of Kings. [mh-1-275-1 ] .
विश्रवस् got angry with कुबेर , and from that day he deputed three राक्षस girls to serve his father. [mh-3-275-1 ] .
Synonyms for कुबेर used in महाभारत
अलकाधिप , धनद , धनदेश्वर , धनगोप्ता , धनाधिप , धनाधिपति , धनाध्यक्ष , धनेश्वर , धनपति , धनेश , द्रविणपति , गदाधर , गुह्यकाधिप , गुह्यकाधिपति , कैलासनिलय , नरवाहन , निधिप , पौलस्त्य , राजराज , राजराट् , राक्षसाधिपति , राक्षसेश्वर , वैश्रवण , वित्तगोप्ता , वित्तपति , वित्तेश , यक्षाधिप , यक्षाधिपति , यक्षपति , यक्षप्रवर , यक्षराट् , यक्षराज , यक्षराक्षसभर्ता , यक्षरक्षोधिप .
कुबेर 's garden is called चैत्ररथ , his son नलकूबर , his capital अलका and his mountain-seat कैलास .
कुबेर once did tapas for hundred years when शिव appeared and granted him the boon that he would become King of the यक्षस् . (Padma Purāṇa, Ādikhaṇḍa Chapter 16) .
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