A ruler of the yakshas (nature spirits) and a guardian deity in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religious mythologies. He is known as a deity of wealth and treasure and is one of the dikpalas (lords of the cardinal directions), as well as a lokapala (guardian of the world). In Jainism, he is also an attendant of the Tirthankara Mallinatha. While the iconography of Kubera may vary, a common depiction is of him as a short figure with a protruding belly, often carrying a money purse or a pot and a club. In Buddhist iconography, he is usually depicted with a mongoose to his left.