Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Guardians of the directions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Guardians of the Directions (Sanskrit Dikpālas / दिक्पाल) are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Hinduism and Vajrayāna Buddhism - especially Kālacakra. When with eight deities, they're called Aṣṭa-Dikpālas / अष्ट-दिक्पाल, literally meaning guardians of eight directions. They are often augmented with two extra deities for the ten directions (the two extra directions being zenith and nadir), when they are known as the Daśa-dikpālas. In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of Hindu temples. The names of the Dikpālas vary slightly, but generally include the following:
| Name | Direction | Mantra | Weapon | Consort | Planet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kubera | North | Oṃ Shaṃ Kuberāya Namaḥ | Gadā | Kuberajāyā | Moon |
| Yama | South | Oṃ Maṃ Yamāya Namaḥ | Daṇḍa | Varahajāyā | Jupiter |
| Indra | East | Oṃ Laṃ Indrāya Namaḥ | Vajra | Śacī | Sun |
| Varuṇa | West | Oṃ Vaṃ Varuṇāya Namaḥ | Pāśa | Varuṇajāyā | Venus |
| Īśāna | Northeast | Oṃ Haṃ Īśānāya Namaḥ | Triśūla | Īśānajāyā | Rāhu |
| Agni | Southeast | Oṃ Raṃ Agnaye Namaḥ | Śakti | Svāhā | Mars |
| Vayu | Northwest | Oṃ Yaṃ Vayuve Namaḥ | Aṅkuśa | Vayujāyā | Saturn |
| Nirṛti (sometimes Rakṣasa) | Southwest | Oṃ Kṣaṃ Rakṣasāya Namaḥ | Khaḍga | Khaḍgī | Mercury |
| Brahma | Zenith | Oṃ Hriṃ Brahmaṇe Namaḥ | Cakra | Sarasvatī | Ketu |
| Ananta | Nadir | Oṃ Aṃ Anantāya Namaḥ | Padma | Lakṣmī | Lagna |
Contents |
Directions in Hindu tradition are called as Diśa, Disha or Dik. There are four primary directions and a total of 10 directions.
| English | Sanskrit | Other |
|---|---|---|
| East | Pūrva | Prāchi, Prāk |
| West | Paśchima | Pratīchi, Apara |
| North | Uttara | Udīchi |
| South | Dakshina | Avāchi |
| North-East | Īśānya | |
| South-East | Āgneya | |
| North-West | Vāyavya | |
| South-West | Nairṛti | |
| Up | Urdhva | |
| Down | Atha |
In Hinduism the Guardians of the four cardinal directions are called the Lokapālas (लोकपाल). They are:
Images of the Lokapālas are usually placed in pairs at the entrance to tombs. As Guardians they can call upon the spirits of the next world to help them protect the tomb if necessary.
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
- The Gods of the Directions in Ancient India. Origin and Early Development in Art and Literature (until c. 1000 A.D.), Berlin: Dietrich Reimer 2001 (ISBN 3-496-02713-4) by Corinna Wessels-Mevissen
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda | |
 |
This Hindu mythology-related article is a stub. See the WikiProject Hindu mythology for article coordination. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |