Puranic Stories · Other Puranas & Sacred Texts
A separate and much lighter story from Hindu tradition tells of Kubera, the god of wealth, inviting Shiva's family to a lavish feast: an invitation extended less out of hospitality than out of a wish to display his own considerable riches.
An Invitation With an Ulterior Motive
Kubera's feast was staged deliberately to impress, his abundant wealth put openly on display for Shiva and his family to witness, revealing more about Kubera's own pride than about genuine generosity of spirit.
A Distinct Story From His Fall to Greed
This story stands apart from the Mudgala Purana's account of Kubera's momentary greed giving rise to the demon Lobhasura, told elsewhere in this collection; here, Kubera's flaw is not greed itself but the vanity of wanting his wealth admired, setting the stage for an entirely different lesson.
What Devotees Seek
Devotees who recognize the temptation to display success rather than simply enjoy it find, in Kubera's arrogant feast, the opening chapter of a story that will soon humble this very impulse.