The Four Great Heavenly Kings
四大天王也稱護世四天王。佛經上說•須彌山山頂為色界。須彌山腰為色界六欲天的第一重四天王天。須彌山之頂上為六欲天第二重忉利天。第三重夜摩天。第四重兜率天。第五重樂變化天。第六重他化自在天。
在四天王天裡，四大天王各居東、南、西、北一方。他們的名稱和識別標記是：
- 東方持國天：梵文音譯「多羅咤」，身白，住須彌山黃金埵。他不僅擔負著護持國土的重任，同時又兼著仞利天主樂神的職務，所以手裡抱著琵琶。
- 南方增長天王：梵文音譯「毗琉璃」，身青，住須彌山琉璃埵。佛經說他能夠使善男信女增長善根、斬斷惡根，所以手執利劍。
- 西方廣目天王：梵文音譯「毗留博叉」，身紅，住須彌山白銀埵。因他有用淨天眼，觀察世間善惡，保護眾生的本領。所以手執握臂繞羂索或非龍非蛇的動物。羂索原是絆取野獸用的繩具，放到廣目天王手裡，便可用來繫縛惡魔、非龍非蛇的動物，大致由羂索演變過來。
- 北方多聞天王：梵音譯「毗沙門」，身綠，住須彌山水晶埵。據說他能守護財物，作戰時放出銀鼠咬斷敵方弓弦。所以一手執寶幢、一手按銀鼠、或者托寶塔。以上關於四大天王的概略。
民間還賦予四天王說法是：
南方增長天王，手執寶劍：舞劍生風。
東方持國天王，揮奏琵琶，曲聲和調。
北方多聞天王，撐開寶幢．借傘遮雨。
西方廣目天王，握繞羂索：物狀細順。
謂以： 風調雨順
國泰民安
資料來源：心靈甘露(三)，隆門圓通法師著。英文翻譯：張惠平。
The Four Great Heavenly Kings
The four great heavenly kings are also called the four heavenly kings that protect the world. The Buddhist sutra says: The peak of Mount Sumeru is the realm of the form, while the halfway up the mountain is the first realm of the four heavenly kings of the realm of six desires of the realm of the form. Then, on the top of Mount Sumeru, the second realm is Trayastrmsa, the third one is Yāma, the fourth is Tuṣita, the fifth is Nirmāṇarati, and the sixth Paranirmita vasavartin.
The four heavenly kings reside in the east, south, west, and north respectively. Their names and marks are as follows:
(1) Dhṛtarāṣṭra is a Heavenly King in the east who has a white body and resides on the gold earth of Mount Sumeru. He shoulders the heavy responsibility of protecting the national land and is the main god of music in Trayastrmsa, so he holds a lute in his hand.
(2) Virūḍhaka is a Heavenly King in the south who has a blue body and resides on the glass earth of Mount Sumeru. The sutra says that he is capable of making sentient beings increase their roots of goodness and sever their roots of badness, so he holds a sharp sword.
(3) Virūpākṣa is a Heavenly King in the west who has a red body and lives on the silver earth of Mount Sumeru. He can observe the goodness and badness of the world with his pure heavenly eyes and protect the sentient beings, so he holds a silk rope or an animal that is neither a dragon nor a snake. The silk rope is originally used to trip and catch wild animals, but when used by Virūpākṣa, it becomes a tool to bind devils. The animal that is neither a dragon nor a snake is roughly transformed from the silk rope.
(4) Vaiśravaṇa is a Heavenly King in the north. He has a green body and lives on the crystal earth of Mount Sumeru. It is said that he can protect people’s wealth and in the battlefield he can let off the silver rat that can bite and sever the bows and strings of the enemy. So he holds a treasure umbrella in one hand and a silver rat or a jewel pagoda in the other.
The folk legend about the four heavenly kings is as follow:
Virūḍhaka, the Heavenly King in the south, holds a sword and performs a sword dance that is vigorous and lively.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the Heavenly King in the east, plays the flute that gives a harmonious melody.
Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King in the north, unfurls the treasure umbrella to shelter from the rain.
Virūpākṣa, the Heavenly King in the west, holds a silk rope that looks fine and smooth.
The four sentences above symbolize “The wind and rain come in their time. The country prospers and the people enjoy peace” according to the combination of the last Chinese character of each sentence.
Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol. III), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong. Translated by Huei Ping Chang.