Four Heavenly Kings

The Four Heavenly Kings have been represented from early Buddhist art in India until today in East Asia. There are two types of distinctive iconography of the deities: a king-like appearance in India and Southeast Asia and a warrior-like appearance in Central Asia and East Asia.[1]

  1. Vaisravana (he who hears everything) NORTH
  2. Virūdhaka (he who causes the growth) SOUTH
  3. Dhritarāshtra (he who upholds the realm) EAST
  4. Virūpāksha (he who sees all) WEST

References

  1. ↑ Shim, yeoung shin (2013-01-01). "Four Heavenly Kings: Iconography and Symbolism seen Through Literary Evidence and Imagery". Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations.