Elements of Hindu Iconography v1.c7.63

v1.c7.63

Again the ugra and the śantamūrtis of Vishnu or Śiva are looked upon as granting different results according to the position in which their temples are constructed in the village. If the ugra form of a god is set up for worship in the east, the village will soon be ruined; if it is set up in the south-east, the women of the place will become immoral; if in the south, ghosts and demons in crowds will cause trouble to the people; if in the south-west, the population will dwindle through sickness; if in the west, mental unhappiness, bad conduct and mournfulness will arise; if in the north-west, bad conduct will become rampant among the people; and if in the north, they will be subjected to all sorts of affliction. It is only in the north-east that the ugra forms of gods may be enshrined harmlessly so as to grant prosperity and