Sambodhi 2005 Vol 29

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 10

RADHAVALLABH TRIPATHI, S.K. BAJPAI
SAMBODHI-PURĀTATTVA
proably be understood as the god presiding over each field just as the vāstospati presides over each dwelling”. According to his interpretation, as the fields right from the Vedic times began to be devided accroding to the ownership of the land, different Ksetrapatis were supposed to be presiding over different fields.
Dr. G. C. Tripathi opines that the worship of deities like vāstospati and ksetrapati came to prevail at a later stage, when major deities like the Sun or dyaus had already been established and also, worship to these minor deities signifies evolution of gods out of requirements of daily life.?
In a society which largely depended on agriculture, a deity like ksetrapati naturally assumed growing importance. ksetrapati therefore used to be worshipped by the masses. We find the purānas describing the worship and iconography of Ksetrapati, Markandeya says
य एव ग्रामपालोऽभूत् पशुपालः स एव च । क्षेत्रपालः स एवासीद् द्विजातीनां च रक्षिता ॥
(Hiducuyau 19.24) The function of Ksetrapāla thus did not remain confined to the protection of the agricultural field only, and the word ksetra here came to be denoting a wider spectrum, meaning all sorts of localities, which were supposed to be protected by the god Ksetrapati and thus there were different Ksetrapatis for protecting the village, the animals and the brahmins, but Mārkandeya emphasises over the basic unity or identity of these indicating perhaps their common roots in Rgveda.
Agnipurāna describe the iconography and characteristics of Ksetrapala. Accordingly, Kþetrapāla is consecrated on the south-east corner of the temple, for protecting the villages and the cities. The image is large, with three eyes. It is constructed having three different characteristics - i.e. sättvika, rājasa and tāmasa. The figures of Ksetrapati are depicted alternately having two, four or eight hands. Ksetrapāla is also supposed to be a portion of Siva. Agnipurāna (chap.51) prescribes that Ksetrapālas should be depicted with trident in their hands.
It seems that Kșetrapäla assumed prominence in the later tantra tradition, but his basic connections with the Vedic traditions remained intact. Vatukabhairavastotra defines the nyāsa of Ksetrapa and Ksetrapāla.3
Sabdakalpadruma explains Ksetrapāla in tantric tradition. It has quoted a