Nidhi Explained
Nidhi is a Sanskrit term meaning, "treasure". It is generally used to indicate the nine treasures called navanidhi belonging to Kubera, the god of wealth.[1] According to tradition, each nidhi is personified as having a guardian spirit, with some Tantrikas worshipping them. The nature and characteristics of nidhis have remained largely unexplained and have not been fully understood.[2]
Description
According to the Amarakosha and the Padma Purana,[3] the nine nidhis are:
!Name!Meaning!Symbolism| Mahapadma | "great lotus flower" | Twofold Himalayan lake |
| Padma | "lotus flower" | Himalayan lake |
| Shankha | "conch" | Conch shell |
| Makara | "crocodile" | black antimony |
| Kacchapa | "tortoise" | turtleshell |
| Mukunda | "a particular precious stone" | quicksilver |
| Kunda | "jasmine" | arsenic |
| Nila | "sapphire" | antimony |
| Kharva | "dwarf" | firebaked vessel | |
References
- Book: The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume VII: Uttarakāṇḍa . 2018-09-11 . Princeton University Press . 978-0-691-18292-6 . 577 . en.
- Book: Walker, Benjamin . Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L . 2019-04-09 . Routledge . 978-0-429-62421-6 . 615 . en.
- Book: Bhatt . G. P. . The Padma-Purana Part 10: Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology Volume 48 . Deshpande . N. A. . 2013-01-01 . Motilal Banarsidass . 978-81-208-3915-1 . 3290 . en.
Sources
- A Dictionary of Hindu Mythology & Religion by John Dowson
- A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature, by John Dawson, page 221
- Amarakosha, ed. W. L. Shastri Pansikar, v. 142
- Megha-duta, collected works, iv. 372. verse 534
