Prithivi Earth Goddess

Jianlao Dishen’s Sanskrit name is Prthvi-devi, a dharmapala (Dharma-protecting deity) presiding over the earth, signifying the earth’s unshakable firmness—the very foundation upon which all phenomena abide. According to scriptural accounts, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, Mara the Tempter appeared to disrupt his meditation; the Buddha touched the earth with his right hand, whereupon Jianlao Dishen emerged from the ground to bear witness, solemnly affirming the authenticity of the Buddha’s countless lifetimes of meritorious practice—causing Mara to instantly retreat. This gesture became the iconic ‘earth-touching mudra’. The goddess further vowed before the Buddha to protect all who recite the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or make offerings to the Three Jewels, ensuring their lands flourish and their material resources multiply. Farmers revere her as the guardian of bountiful harvests, and her iconographic form consistently depicts her rising from the earth while holding a grain-filled bowl.