Among the many Buddhist deities, the Four Guardian Kings are believed to respectively protect the four cardinal directions. During the Joseon period, sculptural or pictorial images of the Four Guardian Kings were enshrined to serve as protectors of the temple at its entrance known as Cheonwangmun Gate.
The deity in this painting clutching a dragon while holding a wish-granting jewel is Virudhaka, the guardian king of the south. Virudhaka is commonly depicted bearing a sword. However, since another painting (ssu15482) produced together with this example carries an inscription referring to the king with a sword as Dhrtarastra of the East, the directions of the Four Guardian Kings can be variable, and the king depicted here is understood as Virudhaka of the South.