Dhṛtarāṣṭra

E282154

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is one of the Four Heavenly Kings in Buddhist tradition, revered as the guardian of the eastern direction and protector of the Dharma.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Dhṛtarāṣṭra canonical 4
Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Buddhist deity
Four Heavenly King
guardian king
appearsIn Golden Light Sūtra
Lotus Sūtra
Mahāyāna sūtras
linked to: Mahayana sutras

Pāli Canon
linked to: the Pali Canon

Āgama scriptures
associatedConcept guardianship of the world
protection of the Dharma
associatedRealm Cāturmahārājika heaven
associatedWith gandharvas
music
yakṣas
cosmicLocation Mount Sumeru
linked to: Mount Meru
cosmologicalLevel guardian of one of the four continents surrounding Mount Sumeru
cultType protective deity cult
directionGuarded east
dwellsIn Trāyastriṃśa heaven’s lower slopes
dwellsOn eastern slope of Mount Sumeru
function defend the eastern quarter from evil beings
groupWith Vaiśravaṇa
linked to: Bishamonten

Virūpākṣa
Virūḍhaka
iconographicAttribute armor
pipa (lute) in East Asian art
sword
iconographicRole temple gate guardian
kingOf eastern continent
gandharvas
meaningOfName “Upholder of the Nation”
memberOf Four Heavenly Kings
protects Buddhist practitioners
Buddhist temples
Dharma
monasteries
religion Buddhism
role guardian of the eastern direction
SanskritName Dhṛtarāṣṭra
title Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra
linked to: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
veneratedIn Chinese Buddhism
East Asian Buddhism
Japanese Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
worshipForm offerings and recitation of dhāraṇīs

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Heavenly Kings Hall associatedDeity Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Four Heavenly Kings hasMember Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Dhṛtarāṣṭra SanskritName Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Dhṛtarāṣṭra title Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra
linked to: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Virūḍhaka otherMembers Dhṛtarāṣṭra