The Dikpalas
On top of Mount Meru (Meru Murdhani - the Crown of Meru or the canopy of the demigods - ŚB 5.16.28) there are 8 cities, each 2,500,000 yojanas wide, surrounding Brahmapuri which is a square city 10,000,000 yojanas wide (each of its four sides is calculated to extend for ten million yojanas). These cities are obviously sūkṣma (subtle) as Mount Meru is 32,000 yojanas wide. ŚB 5.16.28 (Size of Brahmapuri), ŚB 5.16.29 (Size of the Dik-palas) and ŚB 5.16.7 (Size of Mount Meru)
The traditional clockwise order of the eight guardians (Asta-dik-pala) starting from the East, and going clockwise, is the standard way to visualize the 8 Dik-palas on top of Mount Meru:
1. East: Indra (See ŚB 5.21.7)
2. Southeast: Agni
3. South: Dharmaraja (See ŚB 5.21.7)
4. Southwest: Nirrti
5. West: Varuna (See ŚB 5.21.7)
6. Northwest: Vayu
7. North: Kuvera/Candra (Moon) (See ŚB 5.21.7)
8. Northeast: Isana
1. East: Indra
Role: Guardian of the East, King of the Devas, and Lord of Rain.
Mount (Vahana): Airavata, the four-tusked white elephant.
City: Amaravati or Devadhānī (See ŚB 5.21.7)
2. Southeast: Agni
Role: Guardian of the Southeast and God of Fire.
Mount (Vahana): Mesha, a ram or male goat.
City: Tejavati
3. South: Dharmaraja (Yama)
Role: Guardian of the South, God of Justice, Law, and Death.
Mount (Vahana): Mahisha, a male water buffalo.
City: Samyamini (See ŚB 5.21.7)
4. Southwest: Nirrti
Role: Guardian of the Southwest and Goddess of Decay, Darkness, and Entropy.
Mount (Vahana): Often depicted on a Man, a donkey, or a horse.
City: Krsnajana
5. West: Varuna
Role: Guardian of the West, Lord of the Cosmic Waters and Truth (Rta).
Mount (Vahana): Makara, a mythical sea creature or crocodile.
City: Shraddhavati or Nimlocanī (See ŚB 5.21.7)
Role: Guardian of the Northwest and God of the Wind and Life Force (Prana).
Mount (Vahana): Mruga, a spotted deer or antelope.
City: Gandhavati
7. North: Kuvera and/or Candra
Role: Guardian of the North and Lord of Wealth and Treasure.
Mount (Vahana): Nara (a man) or a horse.
City: Alakapuri and/or Vibhāvarī (See ŚB 5.21.7)
8. Northeast: Isana (Rudra)
Role: Guardian of the Northeast and an aspect of Lord Siva. The Northeast corner is considered the most sacred and auspicious.
Mount (Vahana): Vrsabha, the bull.
Vastu Significance: The Northeast corner, known as Ishan-kon or Isanasthana, is considered highly sacred, governing spiritual clarity, knowledge, and mental peace.
Attributes: Represents divinity, and this direction is ideal for meditation rooms or prayer areas.
City: Yasovati
To complete the full 10 directions (Dasha-Dik-pala) and the center:
Zenith (Up): Lord Brahma.
Satyaloka (top of the universe: the Lotus Flower)
Nadir (Down): Ananta Sesa.
City: Bhoga-vari (Patala-loka)
And the eleventh: Center: Lord Brahma at the hub of the Brahmasthana.
City: Manovati (or Brahmapuri) - Mount Meru
MGDAS anti-clockwise order:
1. East: Indra
2. Northeast: Isana
3. North: Kuvera
4. Northwest: Vayu
5. West: Varuna
6. Southwest: Nirrti
7. South: Dharmaraja
8. Southeast: Agni
Size of Brahmapuri:
meroḥ — of Sumeru Mountain; mūrdhani — on the head; bhagavataḥ — of the most powerful being; ātma-yoneḥ — of Lord Brahmā; madhyataḥ — in the middle; upakḷptām — situated; purīm — the great township; ayuta-yojana — ten thousand yojanas; sāhasrīm — one thousand; sama-caturasrām — of the same length on all sides; śāta-kaumbhīm — made entirely of gold; vadanti — the great learned sages say.
In the middle of the summit of Meru is the township of Lord Brahmā. Each of its four sides is calculated to extend for ten million yojanas [eighty million miles]. It is made entirely of gold, and therefore learned scholars and sages call it Śātakaumbhī.
Size of the Dik-palas:
tām — that great township named Brahmapurī; anuparitaḥ — surrounding; loka-pālānām — of the governors of the planets; aṣṭānām — eight; yathā-diśam — according to the directions; yathā-rūpam — in exact conformity with the township of Brahmapurī; turīya-mānena — by measurement only one fourth; puraḥ — townships; aṣṭau — eight; upakḷptāḥ — situated.
Surrounding Brahmapurī in all directions are the residences of the eight principal governors of the planetary systems, beginning with King Indra. These abodes are similar to Brahmapurī but are one fourth the size.
Size of Mount Meru:
eṣām — all these divisions of Jambūdvīpa; madhye — among; ilāvṛtam nāma — named Ilāvṛta-varṣa; abhyantara-varṣam — the inner division; yasya — of which; nābhyām — in the navel; avasthitaḥ — situated; sarvataḥ — entirely; sauvarṇaḥ — made of gold; kula-giri-rājaḥ — the most famous among famous mountains; meruḥ — Mount Meru; dvīpa-āyāma-samunnāhaḥ — whose height is the same measurement as the width of Jambūdvīpa; karṇikā-bhūtaḥ — existing as the pericarp; kuvalaya — of this planetary system; kamalasya — like a lotus flower; mūrdhani — on the top; dvā-triṁśat — thirty-two; sahasra — thousand; yojana — yojanas (eight miles each); vitataḥ — expanded; mūle — at the base; ṣoḍaśa-sahasram — sixteen thousand yojanas; tāvat — so much; āntaḥ-bhūmyām — within the earth; praviṣṭaḥ — entered.
Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhū-maṇḍala planetary system. The mountain’s height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa — or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountain’s height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountain’s width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.
Also the following verse proofs svargaloka is up to lokaloka mountain;
saḥ — that mountain; loka-traya-ante — at the end of the three lokas (Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka); paritaḥ — all around; īśvareṇa — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; vihitaḥ — created; yasmāt — from which; sūrya-ādīnām — of the sun planet; dhruva-apavargāṇām — up to Dhruvaloka and other, inferior luminaries; jyotiḥ-gaṇānām — of all the luminaries; gabhastayaḥ — the rays; arvācīnān — on this side; trīn — the three; lokān — planetary systems; āvitanvānāḥ — spreading throughout; na — not; kadācit — at any time; parācīnāḥ — beyond the jurisdiction of that mountain; bhavitum — to be; utsahante — are able; tāvat — that much; unnahana-āyāmaḥ — the measure of the height of the mountain.
By the supreme will of Kṛṣṇa, the mountain known as Lokāloka has been installed as the outer border of the three worlds — Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka — to control the rays of the sun throughout the universe. All the luminaries, from the sun up to Dhruvaloka, distribute their rays throughout the three worlds, but only within the boundary formed by this mountain. Because it is extremely high, extending even higher than Dhruvaloka, it blocks the rays of the luminaries, which therefore can never extend beyond it.
Purport by MGDAS
The key words are: saḥ — that mountain; loka-traya-ante — at the end of the three lokas (Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka), in other words: "the mountain known as Lokāloka has been installed as the outer border of the three worlds — Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka —" This means that Svarga-loka is as big as Bhūrloka or Bhu-mandala.
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