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Kshetrapala

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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According to Hinduism and Hindu mythology, Kshetrapala, that is, the lord of the farmland, is a deity who was originally a deity of the farmland, particularly in the south India. Over a period of time,

Kshetrapala became a generic name applied to deities associated with a piece or parcel of land, or a particular region (kshetra in Sanskrit).

His temples are generally constructed on the northeastern corner of temples devoted to Shiva, and he is worshipped prior to each ritual to ensure the efficacy of that particular ritual.


Kshetrapala is a protector of villages and towns from evil deities and bad men.


He has three different forms,


satvika,
rajasa, and
tamasa.



Each of these forms is always found nude and with three eyes, however they each have a different amount of arms. Satvika has either two or four, rajasa has six, and tamasa has eight.

The skin color also differs with each of Kshetrapala's forms.

Satvika is white, rajasa red, and tamasa is black. All three forms had red hair, standing erect on their heads, and all wear ornaments of snakes. His vehicle is the dog.

The image

Kshetrapala’s images are awe-inspiring; he is generally depicted naked, and is shown with three eyes and untidy hair. He is displayed with wielding a number of weapons and accompanied by shvans (dogs).

He is sometimes identified with Bhairava. Kshetrapala temple is also situated in the village Khadagada, Tehsil Sagwara, district Dungerpur, Rajasthan.

Source

Wikipedia:Kshetrapala