Four Heavenly Kings

E282153
Buddhist deities guardian deities

The Four Heavenly Kings are powerful guardian deities in Buddhist tradition who protect the four cardinal directions and safeguard the Dharma.

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All labels observed (6)

Label Occurrences
Four Heavenly Kings canonical 8
"Tianwang" means "Heavenly Kings" in Chinese 1
Four Heavenly Kings (in some traditions) 1

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Buddhist deities ⓘ
guardian deities ⓘ
associatedConcept protection of the four quarters ⓘ
associatedRealm Cāturmahārājika heaven ⓘ
ChineseName Four Heavenly Kings self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: 四大天王
cosmologicalLevel lowest heaven of the Kāmadhātu ⓘ
culturalInfluence important in Chinese Buddhist temple architecture ⓘ
important in Japanese Buddhist temple architecture ⓘ
important in Korean Buddhist temple architecture ⓘ
directionalAssociation east ⓘ
north ⓘ
south ⓘ
west ⓘ
function guardians of the world ⓘ
leaders of various classes of non-human beings ⓘ
protectors of Buddhist faith ⓘ
hasMember Dhṛtarāṣṭra ⓘ
Bishamonten ⓘ
surface form: Vaiśravaṇa

Virūpākṣa ⓘ
Virūḍhaka ⓘ
iconography depicted in armor ⓘ
often holding weapons or symbolic objects ⓘ
JapaneseName Four Heavenly Kings self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: 四天王
KoreanName 사대천왕 ⓘ
locationInCosmology slopes of Mount Sumeru ⓘ
member Dharmapala ⓘ
numberOfMembers 4 ⓘ
PaliName Cātummahārājāno ⓘ
positionInTemple often enshrined in gate halls ⓘ
protects Dharma ⓘ
four cardinal directions ⓘ
relatedTo Indra ⓘ
Svarga ⓘ
surface form: Trāyastriṃśa heaven
religion Buddhism ⓘ
role maintain cosmic order ⓘ
ward off evil influences ⓘ
SanskritName Caturmahārāja ⓘ
Caturmahārāja ⓘ
surface form: Caturmahārājikā
scripturalSource described in early Buddhist cosmological texts ⓘ
mentioned in the Pali Canon ⓘ
mentioned in the Āgamas ⓘ
TibetanName rgyal chen bzhi ⓘ
worshipPractice invoked for protection of monasteries ⓘ
venerated in East Asian Buddhism ⓘ

Referenced by (13)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Heavenly Kings Hall → housesStatuesOf → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Jade Emperor → hasSubordinates → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
this entity surface form: Four Heavenly Kings (in some traditions)
Shitennoji Temple → namedAfter → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Shitennoji Temple → dedicatedTo → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
this entity surface form: Shitenno (Four Heavenly Kings)
Four Heavenly Kings → ChineseName → Four Heavenly Kings self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: 四大天王
Four Heavenly Kings → JapaneseName → Four Heavenly Kings self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: 四天王
Dhṛtarāṣṭra → memberOf → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Virūḍhaka → memberOf → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Virūpākṣa → memberOf → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings → dedicatedTo → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Tianwang Dian → dedicatedTo → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Tianwang Dian → housesDeity → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
Tianwang Dian → etymology → Four Heavenly Kings ⓘ
this entity surface form: "Tianwang" means "Heavenly Kings" in Chinese