พิธีบูชาเทพทั้ง 8 ทิศ ของไทยในภาคเหนือ (Astadikpalas-Lokapalas)
Vedic deities
The earliest known texts about the Gods and goddesses of India are the Vedas. The
oldest of them, the Rig-veda, comprises over 1,000 hymns, each addresses a deity. Many of
these early Vedic gods and goddesses relate to specific aspects of the universe or the
elements. Among the most prominent are Agni, god of fire, Surya, god of the sun, Vayu, god
of the wind, Prithvi, goddess of the earth, and Indra, chief of all the Vedic gods, who has a
highly complex and powerful personality.
Lokapala, the guardian of the world, has different uses depending on whether it is
found in a Hindu or Buddhist context.
In Hinduism, Lokapalas refer to the Guardians of the Directions associated with the
four cardinal directions.
In Buddhism, Lokapalas refer to the Four Heavenly Kings, and to other protector
spirits, whereas the Guardians of the Directions are referred to as the 'Dikpalas'. In the
Buddhist faith, the Four Heavenly Kings are four guardian gods, each of whom watches over
one cardinal direction of the world.
2
The Guardians of the Directions are the deities who rule the specific directions of
space according to Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism, especially Kalacakra. As a group of
eight deities, they are called Astadikpalas, 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 Dasa-dikpalas.
For example; Indra1 is the most prominent of all Vedic gods and occupies the most
important position of the guardian of the Eastern quarter. “Airavatta” is the elephant of
Indra. It is white and has four tusks. Indra has a thunderbolt in his hand and has as his
cognizance the third eyes placed horizontally on his forehead.
Visnudharmottara gives an elaborate description of the four-armed Sakra in which
are not only mentioned his third eyes and the four armed, consort Saci seated on his lap.
Amsumadbhedagama describes the image of Indra in more or less identical terms.
The god has two-armed, his hands carrying either sakti and Ankusa or vajra and ankusa. He
has usually two eyes.
Stone relief in the Paharpur basement illustrates a few of the Dikpalas and one
of them shows two-armed Indra standing, facing east, before his mount holding an
object (a citrus) in his left hand, his right hand being in the Varada pose. He has a jeweled
Kiritamukuta on his head with the halo behind it and the horizontally placed third eye on
the forehead.
The Chidambaram Temple: the four armed figure of Indra seating astride on the
back of his elephant has its front hands in the Varada and Abhaya poses, the back ones
carrying the Ankusa and Vajra.
Kubera2: the lord of the Northern Quarter
Amsumadbhedagama describes the god as two-armed. The hand is being in the
Varada and Abhaya poses (a club also being shown in the left hand) having a sheep for his
mount attended by his consort and the two Nidhis, Sankha and Padma.
Suprabheda lays stress on the terrific features of the two-armed god holding a club
in one of his hand.
Silparatna characterizes him as friend of Hara (Siva), riding a chariot drawn by
men, holding a mace in one of his hands, as pot-bellied and long armed, accompanied by
Astanidhis and Guhyakas on all sides.
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