The Development of Hindu Iconography c19.s2.1.3

c19.s2.1.3

The Gobhila Gṛhyasūtra, while describing the rites connected with the building of a house (vāstuśamana), mentions that ‘ten offerings (bali) are to be made to the regents of the ten regions (diśas)—namely, to Indra (E.), Vāyu (S.E.), Yama (S.), Pitaras (S.W.), Varuṇa (W.), Mahārāja (N.W.), Soma (N.), Mahendra (N.E.), Vāsuki (downwards), and Brahmā (upwards in the sky, i.e., throwing the bali into the air)’.¹ The Atharvaveda, however, enumerates only six quarters (four major ones, the two other ones being the ‘fixed quarter’ and the ‘upward quarter’), and associates with each particular groups of divinities as ‘regents’ and ‘wardens’ (adhipati and rakṣitā). The gods—Agni, Indra, Varuṇa, Soma, Viṣṇu and Bṛhaspati—are the respective regents of the eastern, southern, western, northern, fixed and upward quarters, while the Nāgas—Asita, Tiraścīrāji, Pṛḍāku, Svaja, Kalmāsagrīva and Śvitra—are the wardens of these quarters respectively.² The Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda (Taittirīya Saṃhitā, V. 5-10) also mentions the six quarters with their six regents and wardens, the names of which are the same as quoted from the Atharvaveda; there is, however, a little difference, Viṣṇu being substituted by Yama as the regent of the fixed quarter in this list. There is no doubt that the concept about the fixed group of four or eight Lokapālas (Dikpālas) of later Hindu mythology originated from these later Saṃhitā texts.