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{{short description|Deities of the eight directions in Hinduism and Buddhism}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2018}}
[[File:Khajuraho ni05-11.jpg|thumb|Parshvanatha Temple, Khajuraho, the southeast corner, with guardians Indra (E) and Agni (SE).]]The '''Guardians of the Directions''' ({{langx|sa|दिक्पाल}}, {{IAST3|Dikpāla}}) are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]] and ''[[Vajrayana|{{IAST|Vajrayāna}}]]'' [[Buddhism]]—especially [[Kalachakra|{{IAST|Kālacakra}}]]. As a group of eight deities, they are called '''{{IAST|Aṣṭa-Dikpāla}}''' (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 '''{{IAST|Daśa-Dikpāla}}'''. In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of [[Hindu temple]]s. They are also often portrayed in Jain temples, with the exception that [[Nāga]] usually takes the place of [[Vishnu]]{{sfnp|Kumar|2001|p=17}} in the nadir. Ancient [[Java]] and [[Bali Hinduism]] recognize '''{{IAST|Nava-Dikpāla}}''', literally meaning guardians of nine directions, that consist of eight directions with one addition in the center. The nine guardian gods of directions is called ''Dewata Nawa Sanga'' (Nine guardian [[devata]]). The diagram of these guardian gods of directions is featured in [[Surya Majapahit]], the emblem of [[Majapahit empire]].

There are strong similarities between the concept of the '''guardians of the directions''' and the lore surrounding the Chinese [[Four Symbols (Chinese constellation)|four symbols]], four ancestral spirits who are responsible for four of the cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West).{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

==Directions in Hindu tradition==
[[File:Brahma and the Lokapalas.jpg|thumb|Brahma, Lord of the Zenith (center) with (from left) Varuna, Kubera, Yama and Indra.]]Directions in Hindu tradition are called as ''{{IAST|Diśā}}'', or ''Dik''. There are four cardinal directions, six orthogonal directions and a total of ten directions, however infinite combinations are possible.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! English
! [[Sanskrit]]
|-
| [[North]]
| Uttara, Udīcī
|-
| [[South]]
| Dakṣiṇa,  Avācī
|-
| [[East]]
| Pūrva, Prācī, Prāk, Aruna
|-
| [[West]]
| {{IAST|Paścima}}, Pratīcī, Aparā
|-
| [[Northeast]]
| Īśāna
|-
| [[Southeast]]
| Agni
|-
| [[Northwest]]
| Vāyu
|-
| [[Southwest]]
| Nirṛta
|-
| [[Zenith]]
| Ūrdhva
|-
| [[Nadir]]
|  AdhaH
|}

==Lokapālas==
<!-- This section is linked from [[Agni]] -->In [[Hinduism]], the guardians of the cardinal directions are called the [[Lokapala|{{IAST|Lokapāla}}]]s (लोकपाल), or Dikpalaka.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 12, 2019|title=The Lokapāla: Guardians of the Directions|url=https://medium.com/@Kalpavriksha/the-lokap%C4%81la-guardians-of-the-directions-a097f7f10a7a#:~:text=The%20Lokap%C4%81la%20(Guardians%20of%20the,the%20specific%20directions%20of%20space.&text=As%20a%20group%20of%208,of%20the%20Eight%20Directions').|website=Medium}}{{Retrieved|access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref> Three main distinctions of Dikpalaka are recognized, being:
[[File:578 CE Dikpalas, rock cut Badami Cave 3 ceiling.jpg|thumb|400x400px|The Ashta-Dikpala with Brahma in the centre denoting Zenith]]

==={{IAST|Aṣṭa-Dikpāla}} ("Guardians of Eight Directions")===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Direction 
|-
| [[Kubera]], God of Fortune
| North
|-
| [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], God of Justice and Death
| South
|-
| [[Indra]], 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{{sfnp|Gopal|1990|p=71}}{{sfnp|Mani|1975|p=62}}
| Southwest (in the image incorrectly shown on southeast)
|}

==={{IAST|Daśa-Dikpāla}} ("Guardians of Ten Directions")===
{{Unsourced section|date=May 2021}}Besides the eight guardians, the following are added:<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 May 2020|title=About Guardians of the directions|url=https://mandalas.life/tag/guardians-of-the-directions/}}{{Retrieved|access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Guardians of The Directions|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/396973153/Guardians-of-the-Directions#}}{{Retrieved|access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref>
* [[Brahma]] ([[Zenith]], meaning "the farthest up from the gravitational force")
* [[Vishnu]] ([[Nadir]], meaning "the direction in which gravity pulls")

==={{IAST|Nava-Dikpāla}} ("Guardians of Nine Directions")===
[[File:Surya Majapahit Diagram.svg|thumb|right|The diagram of [[Surya Majapahit]] shows the arrangements of Hindu deities each resided in main cardinal points.]]

(Called ''Devata Nawa Sanga'' in ancient [[Java]] and [[Bali Hinduism]])

* [[Shiva]] (Center)
* [[Vishnu]] (North)
* [[Brahma]] (South)
* [[Isvara]] (East)
* [[Shiva|Mahadeva]] (West)
* [[Shiva|Sambhu]] (Northeast)
* [[Maheshvara|Mahesora]] (Southeast)
* [[Shiva|Sangkara]] (Northwest)
* [[Rudra]] (Southwest)

==See also==
{{Portal|Hinduism|Religion}}

* [[Bacab]]
* [[Bhairava]]
* [[List of legendary creatures in Hindu mythology#Gaja/Hastin|Diggaja]]
* [[List of legendary creatures in Hindu mythology#Paśu|Dikpali]]
* [[Four Heavenly Kings]]
* [[Four sons of Horus]]
* [[Mahavidya]]
* [[Meitei Guardians of the Directions|Maitei Ngaakpa Lai]]
* [[Matrikas]]
* [[Norðri, Suðri, Austri and Vestri]]
* [[Titan (mythology)|Titan]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|25em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |title=[[Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend]] |isbn=0-500-51088-1 |first=Anna |last=Dallapiccola|year=2002 }}
* {{cite book |title=India through the ages |url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |last=Gopal |first=Madan |year=1990 |editor-first=K. S. |editor-last=Gautam |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}
* {{cite book |title=A Thousand Petalled Lotus: Jain Temples of Rajasthan: Architecture & Iconography |number=42 |series=Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Series |first=Sehdev |last=Kumar |publisher=Abhinav Publications |year=2001}}
* {{cite book |title=Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature |last=Mani |first=Vettam |year=1975 |location=Delhi |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass}} 
* {{cite book |title=The Gods of the Directions in Ancient India. Origin and Early Development in Art and Literature (until c. 1000 A.D.) |location=Berlin |publisher=Dietrich Reimer |year=2001 |isbn=3-496-02713-4 |first=Corinna |last=Wessels-Mevissen}}

==External links==
{{Commons category inline|Guardians of the directions}}

{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Guardians of the directions| ]]
[[Category:Hindu gods]]
[[Category:Onmyōdō deities]]