The story of KUBERA finds its way in the great Hindu epic - the Ramayana. Lord Kubera, ‘Treasurer of the gods’ and ‘King of Yaksha’s’, is also said to be the god of wealth according to Hindu scriptures. Lord Kubera is (Kuvera, Kuber or Kuberan) is associated with all kind of treasures that lies in this earth, such as minerals and jewels, and all the riches that human owns as a whole.
Here are some more interesting stories about Lord Kubera:
1. Lord Vishnu, reborn on earth as Lord Srinivasa, borrowed money from Kubera to handle expenses of his marriage with Lakshmi (reborn as Princess Padmavati) and provide proof of his wealth. It is believed that all the donations made by devotees to Lord Srinivasa of Tirupati contribute in paying for interest on the loan, to Kubera.
2. Kubera is often depicted with a mongoose in his hand. This is no ordinary mongoose, however; it is made of gold and is said to spit out precious germs when it opens its mouth. Even today, miners pray to Kubera before beginning any project as he had discovered the process of gold mining.
3. Kubera is one of the Digpala, meaning ‘guardians of directions’, and is said to be the guardian of North. After Ravana banished Kubera from Lanka, Vishwakarma built the kingdom of Alakapuri on Mount Kailash (north) so that Kubera can stay there and fulfil his duty of being a Digpala.
4. Kubera is the lord of wealth and prosperity. He is also known as the divine treasures of all wealth. In a country like Nepal and India, he is worshipped along with the Lord Ganesha. In Jainism, Kubera is the attendant Yaksha of the 19th Teerthankara, Mallinath. He is usually referred to as Sarvanubhuti or Sarvahna. Kubera in Buddhism is Vaisravana or Jambhala. He is also named as Bishamon by the people of Japan. In Buddhism, Kubera is equivalent to the Pancika whose wife Hariti is the symbol of abundance.
5. After the reward from Brahma with the Puspaka Vimana, Kubera went to the kingdom of gold, Lanka, and ruled. But was dethroned by Ravana. He then settled on the Gandhamadana Mountain near Kailasa. Sometimes, Kailasa is referred to as Kubera’s abode as well. Kubera had a grove called Chaitrartha, where the leaves were made of jewels and the fruits were actually apsaras from the heavens. There was a beautiful lake in the grove called Nalini.
6. Kubera has three famous half-brothers, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Bivhishana. All three find mention in the great Indian epic story Ramayana.
7. As per legend, Kubera once travelled to Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, in order to worship the Shiva here. The temple, small in size, was situated at the border of Thanjavur District, before the present-day Brihadeeshwara Temple (now known as Periya Koil or Big Temple) came into existence. The Lord Thanjapureeshwarar, who reigns supreme here, is venerated as the One who offers asylum to all those who surrender to Him. Kubera had lost all his wealth, power and status to Ravana, who had also usurped his kingdom, Lanka. So he decided to visit all Shiva temples, so that he could retrieve all that he had lost at the hands of his evil half-brother. Now, Thanjavur represents the name of Lord Thanjapureeshwarar. Since he restored Kubera to his former glory, the Lord here is also known by the name of Kuberapureeshwarar. Sri Mahalakshmi occupies her place near Kubera as Dhanalakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) and Dhairya Lakshmi (Goddess of Courage).