Introduction to Vasudhārā
Introduction to Vasudhārā
by Stefan Mang
Vasudhārā (also spelled Vasudharā), whose name means “stream of gems” or “bearer of treasure,” is a Buddhist goddess associated with wealth, abundance, and spiritual prosperity.[1] She is often considered the consort of the male wealth deity Jambhāla and is regarded as an emanation of the Buddha Ratnasambhava, the embodiment of generosity and prosperity among the five Tathāgatas.
While Vasudhārā’s qualities resonate with those of Hindu goddesses like Lakṣmī, within Buddhism she is understood not only as a bestower of fortune but also as a goddess who supports the path to awakening.[2]
Her worship is especially prominent in Himalayan and Central Asian Buddhist traditions, most notably within Newar Buddhism in Nepal, where she occupies a central role in practice and ritual life. She is commonly depicted with a golden hue, in either two-armed or six-armed forms, holding symbols of both material and spiritual abundance—such as a sheaf of grain, a treasure vase, a shower of jewels, and a manuscript. These attributes represent her not only as a goddess of wealth, but also as an embodiment of the perfection of generosity (dāna-pāramitā) and wisdom (prajñā).[3]
Among the many prayers and practices dedicated to Vasudhārā, one of the most popular is the canonical text The Noble Vasudhārā Dhāraṇī—preserved in various forms in both Tibetan and Sanskrit—which teaches her sacred incantation (dhāraṇī), said to grant prosperity and wealth while also averting harmful spirits, demons, and disease.
While her gifts may appear worldly, Vasudhārā is ultimately revered as a support for the path to awakening. By easing material hardship and stabilizing the lives of practitioners, her blessings are understood to remove obstacles to spiritual practice, enabling the cultivation of ethics, meditation, and wisdom. In this way, she is venerated not merely as a giver of wealth, but as a compassionate bodhisattvā who nurtures the conditions for enlightenment.
Further Reading
Handurukande, Ratna. Vasudhārādhāraṇī (kathā). In Buddhist and Pali Studies in honour of the Venerable Professor Kakkapalliye Anuruddha, (ed.) K.L. Dhammajoti and Y. Karunadasa. Centre of Buddhist Studies. The University of Hong Kong, 2009, 53–64.
Handurukande, Ratna. “The Buddhist Goddess Vasudhārā.” In Dhamma-Vinaya: Essays in Honour of Venerable Professor Dhammavihari (Jotiya Dhirasekera), Sri Lanka Association for Buddhist Studies (SLABS), 2005, 111–122.
Shaw, Miranda. Buddhist Goddesses of India. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2006.
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