Guardians of the directions

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Majapahit empire
.

There are strong similarities between the concept of the guardians of the directions and the lore surrounding the Chinese

four symbols, four ancestral spirits who are responsible for four of the cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West).[citation needed
]

Directions in Hindu tradition

Brahma, Lord of the Zenith (center) with (from left) Varuna, Kubera, Yama and Indra.

Directions in Hindu tradition are called as Diśā, or Dik. There are four cardinal directions, six orthogonal directions and a total of ten directions, however infinite combinations are possible.

English Sanskrit
North Uttara, Udīcī
South Dakṣiṇa, Avācī
East Pūrva, Prācī, Prāk, Aruna
West Paścima, Pratīcī, Aparā
Northeast
 Īśāna
Southeast
 Agni
Northwest
 Vāyu
Southwest
 Nirṛta
Zenith Ūrdhva
Nadir AdhaH

Lokapālas

In Hinduism, the guardians of the cardinal directions are called the Lokapālas (लोकपाल), or Dikpalaka.[2] Three main distinctions of Dikpalaka are recognized, being:

The Ashta-Dikpala with Brahma in the centre denoting Zenith

Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions")

Name Direction
Kubera The God of Fortune North
Yama
The God of Justice and Death 		South
Indra The Lord of Heaven and God of the Weather, Sky, Rain, and Storms East
Varuna, God of the Seas, Oceans, and Rain West
Ishana, God of Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Time Northeast
Agni God of Fire Southeast (In the image incorrectly shown on southwest)
Vayu God of the Winds and Air Northwest
Nirṛta God of Death, Sorrow, and Decay[3][4]
 Southwest (In the image incorrectly shown on southeast)

Daśa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Ten Directions")

Besides the eight guardians, the following are added:[5][6]

  • Brahma (Zenith, meaning "the farthest up from the gravitational force")
  • Vishnu (Nadir, meaning "the direction in which gravity pulls")

Nava-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Nine Directions")

The diagram of Surya Majapahit shows the arrangements of Hindu deities each resided in main cardinal points.

(Called Dewata Nawa Sanga in ancient

Bali Hinduism
)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Kumar (2001), p. 17.
  2. ^ "The Lokapāla: Guardians of the Directions". Medium. September 12, 2019.Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  3. ^ Gopal (1990), p. 71.
  4. ^ Mani (1975), p. 62.
  5. ^ "About Guardians of the directions". 5 May 2020.Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  6. ^ "Guardians of The Directions".Retrieved 2023-02-20.

References

  • Dallapiccola, Anna (2002).
    ISBN 0-500-51088-1
    .
  • Gopal, Madan (1990). Gautam, K. S. (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
  • Kumar, Sehdev (2001). A Thousand Petalled Lotus: Jain Temples of Rajasthan: Architecture & Iconography. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Series. Abhinav Publications.
  • Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
  • Wessels-Mevissen, Corinna (2001). The Gods of the Directions in Ancient India. Origin and Early Development in Art and Literature (until c. 1000 A.D.). Berlin: Dietrich Reimer.
    ISBN 3-496-02713-4
    .

External links

Media related to Guardians of the directions at Wikimedia Commons

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