Dik – Direction, Pala – Guardian. Every direction has a guardian.
Eight directions – Ashtadikpala.
Kubera – north, Yama – south, Indra – east, Varuna – west, Isha – northeast, Agni – southeast, Vayu – northwest, Nirriti – southwest.
Ten directions, Dashadikpala, include up – Brahma and down – Vishnu.