अष्टदिग्गजस्

{ aṣṭadiggajas and aṣṭadikkariṇīs }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

AṢṬADIGGAJAS and AṢṬADIKKARIṆĪS   There are eight male and eight female elephants standing guard over the eight zones. They are:

Zone	Male	Female
East	Airāvata	Abhramu
South-east	Puṇḍarīka	Kapilā
South	Vāmana	Piṅgalā
South-west	Kumuda	Anupamā
West	Añjana	Tāmrakarṇī
North-west	Puṣpadanta	Śubhradantī
North	Sārvabhauma	Aṅganā
North-east	Supratīka	Añjanāvatī

(Amarakośa) Besides these, there are four diggajas (elephants of the universe) who bear the earth standing below in the nether world. It is stated that the sons of Sagara who went into the nether land in search of the lost horse of his father saw these elephants. As they went to the east they saw the huge elephant Virūpākṣa, holding the earth on its head. It is said an earthquake occurs when for a change it shakes its head. Going to the left of it they saw the elephant Mahāpadmasama holding the earth on its head on the south. Going again to the left of it they saw Saumanasa holding the earth on its head on the west and going to the left of it on the north they saw Bhadra holding the earth on its head. [Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 40] .