Virūḍhaka (Heavenly King)


Virūḍhaka is a major deity in Buddhism. He is one of the Four Heavenly Kings and a dharmapala.

Names

The name Virūḍhaka comes from the identical Sanskrit term, which refers to sprouting grain. As such, his name means "increase" or "growth.". Other names include:
  • Traditional Chinese: 增長天; simplified Chinese: 増長天; pinyin: Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng; Japanese: Zōjōten or Zōchōten; Korean: 증장천왕 Jeungjang Cheonwang; Tagalog: Birudhaka; Vietnamese: Tăng Trưởng Thiên, a calque of Sanskrit Virūḍhaka
  • Traditional Chinese: 毘楼勒叉; pinyin: Bí lóu lè chā; Japanese: Birurokusha; Korean: 비루늑차Biluneugcha; Vietnamese: Tì Lâu Lặc Xoa. This is a transliteration of the original Sanskrit name.
  • Tibetan: འཕགས་སྐྱེས་པོ, Wylie: 'phags skyes po, THL: Pak Kyepo, "Noble Birth"
  • Thai: ท้าววิรุฬหก Thao Virunhok is an honorific plus the modern pronunciation of Pali Virūḷhaka.

Characteristics

Virūḍhaka is the guardian of the southern direction. He lives on the southern part of Sumeru. He is leader of the Kumbhanda and pretas.

Theravāda

In the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism, Virūḍhaka is called Virūlha or Virūḷhaka. Virūḷhaka is one of the Cātummahārājāno, or "Four Great Kings," each of whom rules over a specific direction.

China

In China, Virūḍhaka's name Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng is a reference to his ability to teach sentient beings to grow in compassion. In Chinese temples, he is often enshrined within the Hall of the Heavenly Kings with the other three Heavenly Kings. In iconographic form, he is clad in armor while brandishing a sword. He is also regarded as one of the Twenty Devas or the Twenty-Four Devas, a group of Buddhist dharmapalas who manifest to protect the Dharma.

Japan

In Japan, Zōjōten is commonly depicted with a fierce expression. He is clad in armor, often brandishing a sword or spear while trampling a jaki.