Lord Kuber - God of wealth and material possessions
Kubera (
Sanskrit:
कुबेर) also known as
Kuvera or
Kuber, is the Lord of Wealth and the god-king of the semi-divine
Yakshas in
Hindu mythology. He is regarded as
the regent of the North (
Dik-pala), and a protector of the world (
Lokapala).
His many epithets extol him as the overlord of numerous semi-divine
species and the owner of the treasures of the world. Kubera is often
depicted with a plump body, adorned with jewels, and carrying a
money-pot and a club.
Originally described as the chief of evil spirits in
Vedic-era texts, Kubera acquired the status of a
Deva (god) only in the
Puranas and the
Hindu epics. The scriptures describe that Kubera once ruled
Lanka, but was overthrown by his demon half-brother
Ravana, later settling in the city of
Alaka in the
Himalayas. Descriptions of the "glory" and "splendours" of Kubera's city are found in many scriptures.
Kubera has also been assimilated into the
Buddhist and
Jain pantheons. In Buddhism, he is known as
Vaisravana, the patronymic used of the Hindu Kubera and is also equated with
Pañcika, while in Jainism, he is known as Sarvanubhuti.