Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Buddhist · deity · mythic · Recorded classification
Heavenly King of the east and lord of the gandharvas (celestial musicians), one of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding the world from Mount Sumeru.
Children
Domains
- guardianship of the east
- lordship of the gandharvas
Powers
- Guard the eastern quarter of the world
- Command the celestial musician gandharvas
- Harmonizes the world and quells discord with his lute
Epithets
- 持國天 'Heavenly King Who Upholds the Realm' — guardian of the EastKonkōmyōkyō (Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra); East Asian iconographic tradition (secondary)
- धृतराष्ट्र 'He who sustains the kingdom' — lord of the gandharvasDīrgha Āgama / Āṭānāṭiya Sutta (DN 32) (primary)
- Gandhabbarāja 'king of the gandharvas (celestial musicians)'Dīgha Nikāya 32, Āṭānāṭiya Sutta. (primary)
Relations
- companion: VirūḍhakaFellow Great Kings (Catummaharajika) guarding the four quarters from Mount Sumeru.Digha Nikaya 32 (Atanatiya Sutta) (primary)
- companion: VirūpākṣaFellow Great Kings (Catummaharajika) guarding the four quarters from Mount Sumeru.Digha Nikaya 32 (Atanatiya Sutta) (primary)
- companion: VaiśravaṇaReciprocal of buddhist_vaishravana.companion — Fellow Great Kings (Catummaharajika) guarding the four quarters from Mount Sumeru.Digha Nikaya 32 (Atanatiya Sutta) (primary)
- father of: Sirī, daughter of DhataraṭṭhaG. P. Malalasekera, Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names, s.v. Sirī 1–2 (secondary)
Sources
- existence: Pali Canon, Āṭānāṭiya-sutta (DN 32), Dīgha Nikāya (primary)