The Nine Nidhis
According to popular Hindu mythology, the nine treasures (Nava Nidhis) belong to Kubera, the god of wealth. According to tradition, each nidhi is a personification by a guardian sprit and worshipped by some tantriks.
First, who is Kubera? In the Atharvaveda, where his name first appears and according to Shatapatha Brahmana scripture, Kubera is the chief of evil spirits or spirits of darkness. He is called the lord of thieves and criminals. He is the son of Vaishravana. It is in the later Manusmriti and the Puranas that he becomes a respectable and then worshipful god of the North.
Kubera, defeated by his cousin brother Ravana, left Lanka with all his riches (minus the Pushpaka Vimana) and ran to the Himalayas, where he created his own city “Alkapuri” near Kailas. Kubera, besides being the protector of the wealth of the Earth, was also the guardian of travelers who please him.
This mythological statement links up to two historical facts.
So much has been the reputation of Kubera that his name and Godhood finds a mention in Buddhism, where he is worshipped as Vaishravana; and by Jains as Sarvanubhuti.
Yet another popular attribute to Kubera is that he gave a loan to Lord Venketeswara of Tirupathi for his marriage with Goddess Padmavati, and the lord requested his devotees to donate liberally to repay his loan to Kubera. Thus the well known “kanduvattikkaran” Kubera became responsible for the lord of Tirupathi to become the first openly corrupt person in the world! His corruption still continues in an ever increasing fashion!!
The lighter aspects of Kubera apart, the nature and characteristics of the nine Nidhis have remained largely not clearly understood. According to Amarakosa (Sanskrit grammar), the nine nidhis are
1. Padma – Lotus flower
2. Maha padma – great lotus flower
3. Shanka – Conch shell
4. Makara – Crocodile
5. Kachchapa – Tortoise
6. Mukunda – a precious stone (cinnabar? Ore of mercury)
7. Kunda – Jasmine
8. Nila – Sapphire
9. Kharva – Dwarf
What is the inner meaning for such apparently common materialistic objects to have become the treasures of Kubera, is not known.
There is one connection between some of these names and the Indian Vedic numbering systems. For example, Yajurveda counts as follows beyond the commonly known Sahasram (Thousand).
1. Ayutam - Ten thousand
2. Niyutam – Hundred thousand
3. Prayutam – One million
4. Arbutam – Ten million
5. Nyarbhutam – Hundred million
6. Samudram – One Billion
7. Madhyam – Ten billion
8. Antam – Hundred billion
9. Parardham – One trillion
Though there is no mention known to me, connecting this numbering system to Nidhi, it looks to me more logical for counting treasures, as available in an old Veda. There are mentions in Valmiki Ramayana where the spy of Ravana counts the number of monkeys in Rama’s army to 10[SUP]62 [/SUP]or in Brahmanda Purana, counting up to 2x10[SUP]16[/SUP]. However, the names of nine numbers beyond thousand, in the Yajurveda, seems to strike a chord.
There is yet another philosophical approach that is possible. A man’s mind will hover around pleasurable objects only when there is Satyatwam (reality), Nityatwam (permanence) and Samaahitatwam (potentiality for satisfying craving for joy). When we understand that they are unreal and un permanent, our minds become calm and strive towards higher attainment. There are six qualities required for this, according to Adi Sankara. They are:
1. Sama – Calmness
2. Dama – Self control
3. Uparati – Self withdrawal
4. Titiksha – Capacity to endure sorrows and sufferings
5. Sraddha – Sincerity and intellectual appreciation
6. Samaadhaana – Tranquility; the poise gained by constant contemplation
These six are known as Shatsampatthi, or six wealths. These, together with
7. Viveka – Discrimination between right and wrong
8. Vairagyam – Unshakeable faith, lead one to attain
9. Mumukshutwam – The perfected man living absorbed in the self, equally disseminating joy, cheer and bliss to all.
These are indeed the nine treasures that every human being ultimately strives for. These are what the Vedas and the Upanishads teach. Therefore, they might indeed be the “Nine Nidhis”, though it is nowhere described so. It may be because the Vedas give only an indirect hint.
According to popular Hindu mythology, the nine treasures (Nava Nidhis) belong to Kubera, the god of wealth. According to tradition, each nidhi is a personification by a guardian sprit and worshipped by some tantriks.
First, who is Kubera? In the Atharvaveda, where his name first appears and according to Shatapatha Brahmana scripture, Kubera is the chief of evil spirits or spirits of darkness. He is called the lord of thieves and criminals. He is the son of Vaishravana. It is in the later Manusmriti and the Puranas that he becomes a respectable and then worshipful god of the North.
Kubera, defeated by his cousin brother Ravana, left Lanka with all his riches (minus the Pushpaka Vimana) and ran to the Himalayas, where he created his own city “Alkapuri” near Kailas. Kubera, besides being the protector of the wealth of the Earth, was also the guardian of travelers who please him.
This mythological statement links up to two historical facts.
- A man, irrespective of how he acquires his wealth, is feared at first, then becomes respectable over a period of time, and is then praised and worshipped, whether it is the Jeep scandal of Krishna Menon, or Bofors, or the 2 G Scam or Coalgate or the imminent Oilgate; they will all follow the same Kubera’s path.
- Travelers were protected by Mafia groups for safe travel within their territories for a payment. The Marwar kingdoms had performed this duty for protection of business men who found crossing the Indus to Karakoram pass became dangerous and dacoit infested and therefore followed the southern route via Jaisalmer to Afghanistan.
So much has been the reputation of Kubera that his name and Godhood finds a mention in Buddhism, where he is worshipped as Vaishravana; and by Jains as Sarvanubhuti.
Yet another popular attribute to Kubera is that he gave a loan to Lord Venketeswara of Tirupathi for his marriage with Goddess Padmavati, and the lord requested his devotees to donate liberally to repay his loan to Kubera. Thus the well known “kanduvattikkaran” Kubera became responsible for the lord of Tirupathi to become the first openly corrupt person in the world! His corruption still continues in an ever increasing fashion!!
The lighter aspects of Kubera apart, the nature and characteristics of the nine Nidhis have remained largely not clearly understood. According to Amarakosa (Sanskrit grammar), the nine nidhis are
1. Padma – Lotus flower
2. Maha padma – great lotus flower
3. Shanka – Conch shell
4. Makara – Crocodile
5. Kachchapa – Tortoise
6. Mukunda – a precious stone (cinnabar? Ore of mercury)
7. Kunda – Jasmine
8. Nila – Sapphire
9. Kharva – Dwarf
What is the inner meaning for such apparently common materialistic objects to have become the treasures of Kubera, is not known.
There is one connection between some of these names and the Indian Vedic numbering systems. For example, Yajurveda counts as follows beyond the commonly known Sahasram (Thousand).
1. Ayutam - Ten thousand
2. Niyutam – Hundred thousand
3. Prayutam – One million
4. Arbutam – Ten million
5. Nyarbhutam – Hundred million
6. Samudram – One Billion
7. Madhyam – Ten billion
8. Antam – Hundred billion
9. Parardham – One trillion
Though there is no mention known to me, connecting this numbering system to Nidhi, it looks to me more logical for counting treasures, as available in an old Veda. There are mentions in Valmiki Ramayana where the spy of Ravana counts the number of monkeys in Rama’s army to 10[SUP]62 [/SUP]or in Brahmanda Purana, counting up to 2x10[SUP]16[/SUP]. However, the names of nine numbers beyond thousand, in the Yajurveda, seems to strike a chord.
There is yet another philosophical approach that is possible. A man’s mind will hover around pleasurable objects only when there is Satyatwam (reality), Nityatwam (permanence) and Samaahitatwam (potentiality for satisfying craving for joy). When we understand that they are unreal and un permanent, our minds become calm and strive towards higher attainment. There are six qualities required for this, according to Adi Sankara. They are:
1. Sama – Calmness
2. Dama – Self control
3. Uparati – Self withdrawal
4. Titiksha – Capacity to endure sorrows and sufferings
5. Sraddha – Sincerity and intellectual appreciation
6. Samaadhaana – Tranquility; the poise gained by constant contemplation
These six are known as Shatsampatthi, or six wealths. These, together with
7. Viveka – Discrimination between right and wrong
8. Vairagyam – Unshakeable faith, lead one to attain
9. Mumukshutwam – The perfected man living absorbed in the self, equally disseminating joy, cheer and bliss to all.
These are indeed the nine treasures that every human being ultimately strives for. These are what the Vedas and the Upanishads teach. Therefore, they might indeed be the “Nine Nidhis”, though it is nowhere described so. It may be because the Vedas give only an indirect hint.
ray2:
