Dikpala
The guardian of a direction. Eight dikpalas guard the eight directions, each with a graha: Indra the east, Agni the south-east, Yama the south, Nirriti the south-west, Varuna the west, Vayu the north-west, Kubera the north and Ishana the north-east. Brahma holds the centre.
- Vastu Shastra
- हिंदी: दिक्पाल
What is the rule behind Dikpala?
The eight directions and their guardians and grahas: East Indra, Sun; South-east Agni, Venus; South Yama, Mars; South-west Nirriti, Rahu; West Varuna, Saturn; North-west Vayu, Moon; North Kubera, Mercury; North-east Ishana, Jupiter; Brahma at the centre.
Source: Mayamata
Related terms
- Vastu ShastraThe traditional Indian science of building: how a site, a house and its rooms are placed in harmony with the directions and the elements. Its classical texts are the Mayamata, the Manasara and Brihat Samhita chapter 53.
- Ishana (north-east)The north-east, named after its guardian, with Jupiter as its graha. It is the zone of water and prayer, kept the lowest, lightest and most open part of the house. A missing north-east corner is the most serious fault a plot can have.
- Pancha BhutaThe five elements, each with its zone in a plot: water in the north-east, fire in the south-east, earth in the south-west, air in the north-west and space at the centre. A room belongs in the zone of the element it uses, such as the kitchen in the south-east.
- Vastu PurushaThe being the texts describe lying face down on every plot, head in the north-east and feet in the south-west. The gods who hold him down each guard a part of the plot.
- Vastu Purusha MandalaThe plot drawn as a grid of squares called padas: 64 (8 × 8) for temples or 81 (9 × 9) for houses. In the 81-pada mandala Brahma holds the nine central padas and 32 devatas guard the outer ring, 45 devatas in all.
- BrahmasthanaThe centre of the plot, its central padas, which belong to Brahma. It is kept open, free of pillars, beams, toilets, stairs and heavy loads. Traditional houses left it as a courtyard; in a flat, a clear central space serves the same purpose.
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What does Dikpala mean in Vastu Shastra?
The guardian of a direction. Eight dikpalas guard the eight directions, each with a graha: Indra the east, Agni the south-east, Yama the south, Nirriti the south-west, Varuna the west, Vayu the north-west, Kubera the north and Ishana the north-east. Brahma holds the centre. The eight directions and their guardians and grahas: East Indra, Sun; South-east Agni, Venus; South Yama, Mars; South-west Nirriti, Rahu; West Varuna, Saturn; North-west Vayu, Moon; North Kubera, Mercury; North-east Ishana, Jupiter; Brahma at the centre.
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