The name Virūḍhaka comes from the identical Sanskrit term, which refers to sprouting grain.

In the Pāli Canon of Theravāda Buddhism, Virūḍhaka is called Virūlha or Virūḷhaka.

[2] In China, Virūḍhaka's name Zēngzhǎng Tiānwáng (增長天 lit.

Growth King) is a reference to his ability to teach sentient beings to grow in compassion.

He is also regarded as one of the Twenty Devas (二十諸天 Èrshí Zhūtiān) or the Twenty-Four Devas (二十四諸天 Èrshísì zhūtiān), a group of Buddhist dharmapalas who manifest to protect the Dharma.