Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
Explanation of the Vāsudeva and Related Mantras (वासुदेवादिमन्त्रनिरूपणम्)
हृच्छिरश् च शिखा वर्म चास्त्रनेत्रान्तयोदरं प्रष्टबाहूरुजानूंश् च जङ्घा पादौ क्रमान्न्यसेत्
hṛcchiraś ca śikhā varma cāstranetrāntayodaraṃ praṣṭabāhūrujānūṃś ca jaṅghā pādau kramānnyaset
يُجرى النْياسا على الترتيب: يوضع على القلب والرأس؛ ثم على الشِّخا (śikhā: قمة الشعر) وعلى الكَڤَچا (kavaca: الدرع)؛ ثم تُوضَع مانترا الأسترا (astra) على العينين، وعلى الأطراف، وعلى البطن؛ وبعد ذلك على الظهر، والذراعين، والفخذين، والركبتين، والساقين، والقدمين، خطوةً فخطوة.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Performing dvādaśāṅga (twelve-limbed) nyāsa in a fixed bodily order for Agneya-vidyā protective installation, covering core, extremities, and lower limbs.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dvādaśāṅga Nyāsa: Body-Sequence from Heart to Feet","lookup_keywords":["dvādaśāṅga-nyāsa","hṛdaya","śikhā","kavaca","udara","pāda"],"quick_summary":"Provides the ordered body-map for installing mantra: heart/head, crown/armor, astra at eyes and extremities and abdomen, then back, arms, thighs, knees, shanks, and feet."}
Weapon Type: Astra (protective missile-mantra)
Concept: Somatic sacralization: mantra is installed progressively to integrate cognition (head/eyes), vitality (heart/abdomen), and action (limbs/feet).
Application: Use a consistent order each sitting; synchronize touch, visualization, and bīja utterance to avoid ‘broken’ nyāsa (khaṇḍa-nyāsa) and to strengthen protective intent.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Nyāsa and protective body-installation in mantra-sādhana)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A full-body diagram of a practitioner with twelve highlighted loci from heart and head down to feet; sequential arrows indicate the nyāsa order, with ‘astra’ emphasized at eyes and extremities.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized standing figure with twelve glowing points, arrowed sequence, warm earthy palette, sacred aura surrounding the body-map","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure with gold-leaf halos at each locus, ornate inscriptions, astra points rendered as sharp radiant motifs near eyes and hands/feet","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: technical chart-like painting, clean labels for each body part, gentle colors, emphasis on step-by-step order and hand-gesture placement","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: physician-like diagram aesthetic in a manuscript folio, figure with annotated loci, fine calligraphy, delicate shading"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हृच्छिरः = हृत् + शिरः; चास्त्रनेत्रान्तयोदरं = च + अस्त्रनेत्रान्तयोः + उदरम्; जानूंश् = जानून् (anusvāra/visarga sandhi in transmission); क्रमान्न्यसेत् = क्रमात् + न्यसेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 25.11 (ṣaḍaṅga vs dvādaśāṅga); Agni Purana 25.10 (nyāsa then japa)
FAQs
It teaches the nyāsa-krama—sequentially installing protective mantras (heart, head, śikhā, kavaca, astra, and then limbs) to create a ritual ‘armor’ over the practitioner’s body.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual technology—precise bodily placements and protective formulae—showing it functions as a manual of applied mantra-śāstra alongside other sciences.
Nyāsa sacralizes the body as a fit vessel for worship, seals the directions/limbs against impediments, and is traditionally held to enhance purity, concentration, and protective merit during sādhana.