The Pandavas then departed for their exile to the Himalayas, a land filled with beauty from the mountain tops down to the valleys, overflowing with life and prosperity. When trying to find a place to rest for the night, they came across an enormous palace covered in gold and jewels that erupted in the middle of two mountains like a hot volcano. The brothers decided to knock on the door, and met the being who lived there - a yaksha by the name of Kubera.
Kubera showed them around the palace permeated with the most expensive and rare jewelry they had ever seen, and offered the Pandava brothers a place to stay.
He asked the brothers, "For why is it you all have come across this desolate land where nobody has visited in centuries? Not even the sherpas that work on Everest stop by to say hello."
The brothers told him the story of their exile, and then asked about Kubera's own history.
Kubera went on to tell them about his life and how it led to where it did.
"It all began when I was born. My father had two wives. One happened to be my mother, but the other woman happened to be the mother to the well-known demon named Ravana. Ravana was a demon and did no good in this world, always causing trouble and ruining lives. He attempted to steal Rama's wife, Sita. A foul act, something nobody could ever imagine doing."
"Ravana and I used to be friends when we were younger, but our mothers having fought over the love of our father had developed a disliking for each other. Ravana's mother and my mother were never happy to see us hanging out with each other, and my mother would often remind me that he is a demon. She told me I should not surround myself with his company, as it can only lead to bad things. Later on I became the King of Lanka, ruling the lands far and wide. A truly beloved ruler. Ravana's mother told Ravana that gods and demons should never be hanging out together, and that Ravana needed to do something to prove his status."
"Ravana then departed to the forest to pray to Brahma, seeking the throne of Lanka in hopes to overthrow me. I personally do not believe that Ravana wanted this, and it pains me to see my friend and half-brother wish my demise, but he was persuaded by his ravaging mother. Brahma, after hearing Ravana's prayers, sent demons to fight me off and take me far away from Lanka. A group of demons came and defeated me, dropping me far away north in the Himalayas. Ravana was now the ruler of Lanka, and I had been exiled from the lands by the commands of Ravana's mother. I then built this palace in these mountains and have resided here ever since. Not a soul knows that I am here now, other than you brothers."
The Pandava brothers were in shock of Kubera's life story and how his own half-brother could betray him.
Yudhishthira asked Kubera, "That's cool...but why do you have such a large palace filled with rich jewels and coated in layers of gold if you are the only one here, and why are you considered the God of Wealth?"
Kubera answered, "Oh.....I just have really expensive taste."
Then Kubera along with the Pandava brothers lived happily ever after.
Author's Note: My story is based on the Mahabharata story titled "The Himalayas" where the Pandava brothers are leaving for exile and come across Kubera. In the original story, the brothers do not spend time talking about Kubera and his origins on how he is the God of Wealth. They merely mention him and then continue on with the story. I wanted my story to focus more on the story of Kubera and his origins as I believe his relation to Ravana is important in the bigger picture. I was also just fascinated with Kubera and wished to know more about him, so writing this story allowed me to do further research on him and his life. Some parts of the story have been adjusted slightly, but a majority of his life's story is accurate. Kubera is a prominent figure in not only Hinduism but Buddhism as well. His story stretches far and wide, and he is known as the owner of all treasures in the world. He serves as the guardian to travelers, and the giver of wealth to individuals who please him. The story of Kubera is one of heartbreaking exile and betrayal, but it is important in the understanding of yakshas and rakshasas and the relationships between the two. Not even shared blood could keep these half-brothers together.
Bibliography - PDE Mahabharata - The Himalayas