From: Francesco Brighenti
Message: 71190
Date: 2013-04-15
> I was thinking about Lokapalas, the 4 Guardians of DirectionsIn the Vedic and epic literature the term dikpâla (`guardians/protectors of the cardinal points') does not occur. Its earliest attestation in Sanskrit is very late (in Medieval period). The term actually used for the guardians of the directions in the epics, where different group of four gods (see lists at http://tinyurl.com/cbaz4l3 ) are first explicitly mentioned as exerting this function, is lokapâla, which means `protectors of the worlds'. As E.W. Hopkins notes, the title of the quartet is curious. The worlds (Skt. loka-) are normally envisaged as a triad arranged vertically (the earth and the worlds below and above), while the cardinal points (or directions), Skt. dis'-, are four and are arranged horizontally. As there are three words, one would expect there to be three lokapâla, if the protectors bore any relation to the three worlds. Hopkins, thus, hypothesizes that originally there may have been three real world-protectors. Therefore, a triad, not a tetrad.
> (= Dikpalas), and I caught an interesting, perhaps fortuitous,
> similarity to the group of main Norse gods. Could this represent
> somehow a common IE heritage? My point is not to state Norse
> deities as guardians of directions, but perhaps forming a
> particular tetrad.
> Varuna (West) = terrible god = Odinn = terrible god
> Indra (East) = storm god = Thorr = storm god
> Kubera (North) = god of wealth, lord of aerial spirits (yakshas), owner of aerial chariot = Freyr = god of fertility, lord of elves (lives in Alfheim), owner of aerial ship
> Yama (South) = King of the Dead, death God, first king, first man (substituting his brother Manu?) = perhaps Heimdall-Rig, perhaps Balder, perhaps benevolous side of Loki.
>
> I'd like to read your comments.
>
> JS Lopes
>