Divyadeśa
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Divyadeśa literally means ‘divine place’.
Milk is obtained through the udder of a cow. Though theoretically speaking, it pervades the whole body of the cow. Similarly, the tantras declare that though the God is omnipresent, he is found more easily in certain places called as ‘divyadeśas’ or divine places. They are enumerated as sixteen in number. Some of them have been listed as follows:
- Vahni - fire
- Ambu - water
- Liṅga - Śivaliṅga
- Maṇḍala - specified geometrical diagrams
- Vigraha - icon or image
- Hṛdaya - the region of the heart
Dhāraṇā or meditation should be practiced on the iṣtadevatā or chosen deity in these places.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore