Vedanta - Discussion Forum I (introductory))

[Sunder]

I have a question for anyone who understands "Directions" (Dhig in samskritham).

Sri Shankaracharya's Atmabodha Shloka 46 goes as follows:

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46. The ignorance characterised by the notions ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ is destroyed by the knowledge produced by the realisation of the true nature of the Self, <b>just as right information removes the wrong notion about the directions.</b>
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We know from our ancestors that there are Dhig-palakas (Indra, Agni, Yama, Nairuthi, Varuna, Vayu, Gubera, and Eeshana, who guard the East, SE, South, SW, West, NW, North, and NE respectively.) The shastras prescribe that we ought not to do achamanam facing south or west. Similarly, there are Sayings that one should not sleep facing the south etc.

I was talking with a rationalist friend of mine (who believes in vedanta, but wants to reason it out), and he asked if there was a "RATIONAL" reason behind the assignment of Dhig-palakas to the particular directions, and whether it is THAT important that we face only east in the morning and that we SHOULD NOT do achamanam facing west as in the Cosmic level, there are no directions, and what is east now has changed 1 second later (owing to earth's rotation.)

I do not yet know a proper reasoning (apart from the magnetic field of earth) as to why Directions are given such prominence in Sanathana Dharma. Anyone ?