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RADHAVALLABH TRIPATHI, S.K. BAJPAI
SAMBODHI-PURĀTATTVA
Ksētrapālas are depicted in three forms - Sāttvika, Rājasa and Tāmasa. Their attributes vary in accordance with these forms, viz. - Sättvika, Rājasa
Tāmasa. Eyes Three Three
Three Hands Three or four Six
Eight Colour White Red
Black Objects in Hands trident, skull-cup Javelin, sword, shield All these
bell and drum and noose of serpent. and bow and arrow
Ksētrapāla is also depicted in Jain tradition. He has six or twenty hands. The six-handed Ksētrapāla holds a club, noose, drum, bow and goad, and his vehicle is a dog. He is surrounded by Ananda and other Bhairavas, and is shown to be leading sixty four Yöginīs. His relationship with Vaikunthabhairava is also mentioned in Jain texts. 8
To conclude we can say that
(1) Ksetrapāla is god conceived in a community which largely depended on
agriculture.
(II) Worship of Ksētrapāla started as early as the Rigvedic period.
(III) He figures in Vedic and purānic literature as well as in tantra and folklore.
He thus brings out a correspondence with āgamic and nigama tradition and simultaneously their interrelation with milieu or folk-traditions.
References : 1. Vedic Index, Vol. I, p.211. 2. Tripathi G.C.: Vedic Debate-Adjuvant aura Visas, pt. I., p.6.10. ___ “अक्ष्णोर्भूताश्रयं न्यस्य वदने तीक्ष्णदर्शनम् । क्षेत्र कर्णयोर्मध्ये क्षेत्रपालं हृदि न्यसेत् ।" इति विश्वसारोद्धारतन्त्रे
37145GR Chaco n il açar Harita quoted in Yachc484 Vol.11.p.260 4. "qui fa-G45 46 47:
ताराद्यो वसुवर्णोऽयं क्षेत्रपालस्य ईरितः ॥" प्रात:कृत्याद्यनन्तरं प्राणायामान्तामस्य पूजां विद्याय धर्मादिपीठं विन्यस्य ऋष्यादिन्यासं कुर्यात् । अस्य ब्रह्मा ऋषि गायत्रीच्छन्दः क्षेत्रपालो देवता क्षौं बीजं आयेतिशक्तिः षड्-दीर्घभाजा बीजेनाङ्गन्यासः । ततो ध्यानम् । "भ्राजच्चन्द्रजटाधरं त्रिनयनं नीलाञ्जनादिप्रभं, दोर्दण्डात्तगदाकपालमरुणस्त्रग्गन्धवस्त्रोज्जलम् ।
