Dhṛtarāṣṭra
figure in Buddhist mythology, and one of the Four Heavenly Kings
Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Sanskrit: धृतराष्ट्र; Pali: Dhataraṭṭha) is one of the Four Heavenly Kings in Buddhism, the King of the Gandhabbas, known as the guardian of the eastern direction and a protector of the Dharma. He is also widely revered in East Asian Buddhist traditions.
Etymology and Names
The name Dhṛtarāṣṭra is a Sanskrit compound of the words dhṛta (possessing; bearing) and rāṣṭra (kingdom; territory). Other names include:
Traditional Chinese: 持國天; Simplified Chinese: 持国天; pinyin: Chíguó Tiān; Japanese: Jikokuten; Korean: 지국천 Jiguk cheon; Vietnamese: Trì Quốc Thiên, a calque of Sanskrit Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Traditional Chinese: 提頭頼吒; Simplified Chinese: 提头赖吒; pinyin: Títóulàizhā; Japanese: Daizurata; Korean: 제두뢰타; Tagalog: Dhltalastla; Vietnamese: Đề-đầu-lại-tra. This is a transliteration of the original Sanskrit name.
Tibetan: ཡུལ་འཁོར་སྲུང, Wylie: yul 'khor srung, THL Yulkhor Sung, "Defender of the Area"
Thai: ท้าวธตรฐ Thao Thatarot is an honorific plus the modern pronunciation of Pali Dhataraṭṭha.
Role and iconography
Dhṛtarāṣṭra guards the eastern quarter of Mount Sumeru, the cosmic mountain at the center of the Buddhist universe. He leads the gandharvas (celestial musicians) and piśācas (flesh-eating spirits). In Mahayana traditions, he is portrayed wearing armor and holding a pipa (a Chinese lute), symbolizing the use of music to spread joy and convert beings to the Dharma.
He is also considered a protector deity in both Theravāda and Mahayana traditions.
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