Kumbhanda

A (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

) or (

Pāli Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

) is one of a group of dwarfish, misshapen spirits among the lesser deities of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

mythology. was a dialectal form for "gourd", so they may get their name from being thought to resemble gourds in some way, e.g. in having big stomachs. But can also be interpreted as "pot-egg"; since "egg" () was a common euphemism for "testicle", the were imagined having testicles "as big as pots". The terms and are sometimes used for the same person; in these cases is the more general term, including a variety of lower deities. The are classed among the Cāturmahārājika deities, and are subject to the Great King Virūḍhaka, Guardian of the South. One of their chiefs is called Kumbhīra. According to the '' Dà zhìdù lùn'', greedy officers are reborn as kumbhāṇḍhas. Buddhist deities Buddhist legendary creatures Lokapalas Non-human races in Hindu mythology {{Japan-reli-stub