Last updated: 5 November 2026. Facts checked against the sources listed at the end on 5 November 2026.

Quick answer: Lord Kubera, also called Vaishravana, is the Hindu guardian of wealth and king of the Yakshas. In the Valmiki Ramayana he is the son of the sage Vishrava and the grandson of Pulastya, which makes him the half-brother of Ravana. Brahma made him one of the guardians of the world (lokapalas) and gave him the flying chariot Pushpaka. He first ruled Lanka, lost it to Ravana, and settled on Mount Kailasa, where later tradition places his city, Alaka (Alakapuri). He is Shiva's friend, and ritual texts place him as guardian of the north.

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ॐ श्रीकुबेराय नमः ।

Om Śrī Kuberāya Namaḥ means "Om, salutations to Shri Kubera". It is the simple name-mantra used in Kubera puja (the form given in Drik Panchang's Kuber Puja Vidhi). It is a devotional formula, not a Vedic verse.

Kubera at a glance

Question

Answer

Where it comes from

Other names

Vaishravana, Dhanada (giver of wealth), Dhanadhyaksha, Yaksharaja

Valmiki Ramayana; Kubera Ashtottara

Father

The sage Vishrava, son of Pulastya

Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda

Mother

Devavarnini, daughter of the sage Bharadvaja (later texts and Drik Panchang name her Ilavida)

Valmiki Ramayana; Puranic tradition

Half-brothers

Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana (and half-sister Shurpanakha), born to Vishrava and Kaikasi

Ramayana; Drik Panchang

Role

Lord of wealth and one of the lokapalas

Valmiki Ramayana

Direction

North

Later ritual texts

Vehicle

Pushpaka vimana, until Ravana took it

Valmiki Ramayana

City

Lanka at first, then a city on Kailasa, known in later literature as Alaka

Ramayana; Kalidasa's Meghaduta

Birth: the son of Vishrava

The Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana tells his story through the sage Agastya, who narrates it to Rama. Pulastya's son Vishrava was a truthful, self-controlled scholar. Seeing his conduct, the sage Bharadvaja gave him his daughter Devavarnini in marriage. Their son was named Vaishravana, "the son of Vishrava", because he resembled his father.

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Later, Vishrava also married Kaikasi, daughter of the rakshasa Sumali. Her children were Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana and Shurpanakha. So Kubera and Ravana share a father but not a mother: they are half-brothers.

Tapas and Brahma's boon

Young Vaishravana spent thousands of years in tapas (austerity), at times living on water, then on air, then on nothing at all. Brahma came to his hermitage with Indra and the gods and offered a boon. Vaishravana asked to become a guardian of the world and protector of wealth.

Brahma agreed. In the text he says he was about to create a fourth lokapala alongside Yama, Indra and Varuna, and makes Vaishravana the lord of wealth. He also gives him the Pushpaka, a flying vimana "bright as the sun", as his vehicle.

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Lanka, then Kailasa

Kubera now needed a home. Vishrava told him about Lanka, a beautiful city built by Vishvakarma for the rakshasas and left empty after they fled to the netherworld for fear of Vishnu. Kubera settled there and ruled it for a long time, visiting his parents in the Pushpaka.

When Ravana gained his own boons from Brahma, his grandfather Sumali and the minister Prahasta pressed him to take Lanka back for the rakshasas. Kubera asked his father what to do. Vishrava told him to leave Lanka and go to Mount Kailasa, and Kubera left with his family, people, ministers and wealth. The full story is on our page Kubera and Ravana: how Lanka and the Pushpaka changed hands.

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Alakapuri, the city of the Yakshas

The Ramayana describes Kubera building a new city on Kailasa. Later Sanskrit literature names it Alaka. In Kalidasa's Meghaduta, the exiled Yaksha tells the cloud: "you must go to Alaka, the home of the lords of the Yakshas", a city lit by the moon on Shiva's head in its outer garden. Kubera's Gayatri on sanskritdocuments.org calls him Alakādhīśa, "lord of Alaka". See Kubera Gayatri Mantra.

King of the Yakshas and the treasures

Kubera rules the Yakshas and Guhyakas, semi-divine beings who guard hidden wealth. Drik Panchang calls him "treasurer of the gods" and "king of Yaksha". In the Uttara Kanda, after Ravana wounds him, Kubera is revived in the Nandana garden by "the treasures, Padma and the others". Tradition counts these as the nine nidhis; see Nava Nidhi: the nine treasures of Kubera.

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Guardian of the north

The Ramayana makes Vaishravana the fourth lokapala, with Indra, Yama and Varuna. In later ritual practice the eight guardians of the directions (dikpalas) are worshipped one by one, and Kubera takes the north. The Gayatri Mantra Vidhanam on sanskritdocuments.org, for example, includes the salutation oṃ kuberāya uttaradiśi namaḥ, "Om, salutations to Kubera in the northern direction". This is why many families face north, or keep Kubera's image on the north side, during his puja. That is a custom, not a rule.

Shiva's friend

Kubera's friendship with Shiva also comes from the Uttara Kanda. In a message to Ravana, Kubera says he once kept a vow in the Himalaya and caught sight of the Goddess Uma with Shiva. By her power his left eye was scorched and turned tawny (piṅgala). Pleased with his austerity, Shiva said, "be my friend", and gave him the name Ekākṣipiṅgala, "the one with a tawny eye". The Kubera Ashtottara (108 names) includes Śaṅkarasakha, "friend of Shankara", and Drik Panchang's dhyana verse calls him Śiva-sakha.

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How Kubera is described

Drik Panchang notes that the name Kubera is often explained as "ill-shaped", and that he is shown short and pot-bellied, adorned with jewels, holding a money bag or pot, a mace or a pomegranate, often with a mongoose. Drik also names his wife Kauberi and their children, including Nalakubara and Manigriva. These details come from later tradition and iconography, not from the Ramayana passages above.

When Kubera is worshipped

  • Dhanteras: Drik Panchang calls it the most important festival for Kubera. In 2026 it falls on Friday 6 November; see Kuber Puja 2026 on Dhanteras.
  • Diwali Lakshmi Puja: Drik notes that Kubera is traditionally worshipped during the Amavasya Lakshmi Puja.
  • Sharad Purnima: Drik describes it as Kubera's birthday. Trayodashi and Purnima are traditionally linked with him.
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These are customs. Devotees worship Kubera to honour wealth earned rightly. No puja promises a financial result.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Lord Kubera in Hinduism?

Kubera, also called Vaishravana, is the guardian of wealth, king of the Yakshas and one of the guardians of the world. In the Valmiki Ramayana he is the son of the sage Vishrava and grandson of Pulastya.

Is Kubera Ravana's brother?

Yes, his half-brother. Both are sons of Vishrava. Kubera's mother was Devavarnini, daughter of Bharadvaja, while Ravana's mother was Kaikasi, daughter of the rakshasa Sumali.

Where does Kubera live?

In the Ramayana he first rules Lanka. After Ravana claims it, he moves to Mount Kailasa and builds a new city there. Later literature, including Kalidasa's Meghaduta, calls that city Alaka or Alakapuri.

Who gave Kubera the Pushpaka vimana?

Brahma gave him the Pushpaka when he made him a lokapala and lord of wealth. Ravana later defeated Kubera and took it.

Why is Kubera called Shiva's friend?

In the Uttara Kanda, Shiva was pleased with Kubera's austerities in the Himalaya and asked him to be his friend. His 108 names include Shankarasakha, "friend of Shiva".

Which direction belongs to Kubera?

The north. Ritual texts that worship the guardians of the directions place Kubera in the north, so many families face north for his puja. This is a custom, not a strict rule.

Sources

Fact-checked on 5 November 2026. Ramayana facts are from the Uttara Kanda (Agastya's narration in its early chapters), checked against the Sanskrit text in the Kamakoti summary.