Scientific name

Ursus thibetanus

Common name

Sloth Bear

Hindi

Bhalu

Sanskrit 

Rkshas

Distribution

Throughout India

Religious association

Jambavan was born in each of Vishnu’s incarnations. In the Ramayana, he is addressed as a Riksha and as a Vanara.

Jambavan with Lord Sri Krishna

In Mahabharata Krishna went in search of Jambavan and, after fighting him received the shyamantaka jewel from Jambavan.

The emblem of the fourteenth Tirthankara Anantanatha is the bear.