The Nava Nidhis or Nine Treasures Owned by Kubera
Kubera is often depicted holding a bag of gold, symbolizing the enormous wealth he owns. Interestingly, he also owns nine priceless treasures. According to Amarakosha, a thesaurus written in Sanskrit by the ancient Indian scholar Amarasimha, Nidhi is a set of nine treasures possessed by Kubera. Amarasimha is said to have been the author, who himself was considered one of the ‘nine gems’ of the court of Vikramiditya, a Gupta king either of 400 or 700-800 AD.
The Nava Nidhis appear in the form of celestial women who attend on Kubera. They are Padma (lotus), Maha-padma (great lotus), Shankha (conch), Makara (crocodile), Kachhapa (tortoise), Kumuda (divine lotus), Kunda (special lotus), Neela (blue jewel) and Kharva (aromatic plant). All these are symbolic of wealth in different forms.
1. Padma
The Padma translates to the lotus flower. However, this treasure is interpreted as a lake in the Himalayas containing precious minerals and gemstones.
2. Mahapadma
Just like the name signifies, Mahapadma is the great lotus flower, which symbolizes a lake double the size of Padma. Thus, it has double the number of minerals and gemstones than the Padma.
3. Shankha
The Shankha or conch is considered to be a sacred object, according to the scriptures. It holds significance in a lot of Puranic texts, including the Mahabharata. The mineral composition of a shankha, calcium, iron and magnesium, makes it even more precious.
4. Makara
While the literal translation of Makara is a crocodile, Amarakosha says it is also a synonym of Padmini, which means black antimony. The powdered form of antimony is a source of kohl.
5. Kachchhapa
The tortoise shell is considered auspicious. Its mineral composition makes it extremely valuable. Various accessories and artefacts have been designed from turtle shells in old times. However, the illegal trade of tortoise shells has been banned in recent times.
6. Kumuda
A tantalizing bright scarlet coloured mineral, cinnabar is one of the other treasures of Kubera. It is the brick-red form of mercury sulfide. This mineral is the source of vermillion which is used in several Indian rituals too.
7. Kunda
Kunda means the jasmine flower. However, this treasure is interpreted as arsenic, since the jasmine plant absorbs arsenic from the soil.
8. Kharva
The Kharva symbolizes cups and vessels baked in fire.
9. Nila
The gemstone sapphire is Nila. It is made up of the mineral corundum, a crystalline form of aluminium oxide. The blue gemstone is one of the most expensive jewels, even in the real world.
