Dikpala in the context of "Surya Majapahit"

Varuna (/ˈvɜːrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/; Sanskrit: वरुण, IAST: Váruṇa) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in the pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky and embodying divine authority. He is also mentioned as the king of asuras, who gained the status of a deva, serving as the chief of the Adityas, a group of celestial deities. He maintains truth and ṛta, the cosmic and moral order, and was invoked as an omniscient ethical judge, with the stars symbolizing his watchful eyes or spies. Frequently paired with Mitra, Varuna represents the magical and speculative aspects of sovereignty, overseeing the relationship between gods and humans.

The transition from the Vedic to later periods saw Varuna's domain begin to shift from the firmament to waters. He became associated with celestial waters, marking the initial phase of his transformation. By the time of the Itihasa-Purana, Varuna had transformed into the lord of all waters, ruling over oceans, rivers, streams, and lakes. Depicted as residing in a magnificent underwater palace, akin to Poseidon in Greek mythology, he is attended by river goddesses like Ganga and Yamuna. Varuna’s earlier supremacy diminished, and he was relegated to a lesser role as a dikpala, or guardian of the western direction. He is depicted as a youthful man, mounted on Makara (crocodile-like creature) and holding a Pasha (noose, rope loop) and a pitcher in his hands. He is depicted as having multiple wives and children, the most notable of the latter being the sages Vasishtha and Agastya.

Vayu (Sanskrit: वायु, romanised: Vāyu, lit. 'Wind/Air'; Sanskrit pronunciation: [ʋaːju]), also known as Vata (Sanskrit: वात, romanised: Vāta, lit. 'Wind/Air') and Pavana (Sanskrit: पवन, romanised: Pávana, lit. 'Purifier'), is the Hindu god of the winds as well as the divine messenger of the gods. In the Vedic scriptures, Vayu is an important deity and is closely associated with Indra, the king of gods. He is mentioned to be born from the breath of Supreme Being Vishvapurusha and also the first one to drink Soma. The Upanishads praise him as Prana or 'life breath of the world'. In the later Hindu scriptures, he is described as a dikpala (one of the guardians of the direction), who looks over the north-west direction. The Hindu epics describe him as the father of the god Hanuman and Bhima.

The followers of the 13th-century saint Madhva believe their guru as an incarnation of Vāyu. They worship the wind deity as Mukhyaprana (Sanskrit: मुख्यप्राण, romanised: Mukhyaprāṇa, lit. 'Chief Prana') and consider him as the son of the god Vishnu.

Chandra (Sanskrit: चन्द्र, romanized: Chandra, lit. 'shining' or 'moon'), also known as Soma (Sanskrit: सोम), is the Hindu god of the Moon, and is associated with the night, plants and vegetation. He is one of the Navagraha (nine planets of Hinduism) and Dikpala (guardians of the directions).