Virūḍhaka

Heavenly King of the south and lord of the kumbhāṇḍas, one of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding the world from Mount Sumeru.

Domains

• guardianship of the south
• lordship of the kumbhandas

Powers

• Guard the southern quarter of the world
• Command the hosts of kumbhāṇḍa spirits
• Cut through ignorance with the sword of wisdom

Epithets

• 増長天 chinese · Zōchōten / Zēngzhǎng Tiān'Heavenly King Who Causes Growth' — guardian of the SouthSuvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra; East Asian iconography (secondary)
• विरूढक devanagari · VirūḍhakaLord of the kumbhāṇḍas, guardian of the southĀṭānāṭiya Sutta (DN 32) (primary)
• 增長天王 Chinese · Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng · cultHeavenly King of Increase and GrowthChinese Four Heavenly Kings (Sì Dà Tiānwáng) tradition (secondary)

Relations

• companion: DhṛtarāṣṭraReciprocal of buddhist_dhrtarastra.companion — Fellow 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)
• companion: VirūpākṣaFellow Great Kings (Catummaharajika) guarding the four quarters from Mount Sumeru.Digha Nikaya 32 (Atanatiya Sutta) (primary)

Sources

• existence: Pali Canon, Āṭānāṭiya-sutta (DN 32), Dīgha Nikāya (primary)