Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 40
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
वराहं पूजयित्वा च पूर्वपद्मे ततः क्रमात् व्यूहान् सम्पूजयेत्तावत् यावत् षड्विंशमो भवेत्
varāhaṃ pūjayitvā ca pūrvapadme tataḥ kramāt vyūhān sampūjayettāvat yāvat ṣaḍviṃśamo bhavet
بعد عبادة فَرَاهَا (Varāha) في مقعد اللوتس الشرقي، ثم على التتابع، تُؤدَّى عبادةُ الفيوهات الإلهية عبادةً تامّة، ويُستمرّ حتى بلوغ الموضع/الإله السادس والعشرين.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Ritual placement and worship sequence: install Varāha on the eastern lotus-seat, then worship the vyūhas in order until the count reaches the 26th placement—useful as a checklist for complete mandala worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Varāha-pūjā and completion of vyūha-krama up to the 26th placement","lookup_keywords":["Varāha","eastern lotus-seat","vyūha worship","ṣaḍviṃśa","padma-maṇḍala sequence"],"quick_summary":"Begin by worshipping Varāha at the eastern lotus position, then proceed sequentially through the vyūhas. Continue the full worship until the 26th deity/placement is completed, ensuring completeness of the mandala rite."}
Concept: Incarnation (avatāra) worship integrated into emanational theology (vyūha) through ordered ritual enumeration; completeness (pūrṇatā) is itself a ritual virtue.
Application: Use the ‘until the 26th’ rule as a completion criterion in pūjā manuals—preventing omission of placements and maintaining liturgical integrity.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Vaishnava iconography and ritual arrangement: Varaha and the Vyuhas)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha deity installed on the eastern lotus seat of a mandala; the priest proceeds around the lotus worshipping successive vyūhas, with a visible count/sequence culminating in the 26th placement.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha with earth (Bhū-devī) motif suggested, seated on an eastern lotus petal, surrounding petals filled with vyūha forms, priest moving clockwise with lamps, bold outlines and rich palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha central emphasis with gold embossing, eastern lotus seat highlighted, surrounding vyūhas on petals with gold halos, ritual offerings and lamps, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional composition showing the lotus with numbered placements up to 26, Varāha at east, priest performing sequential archana, delicate lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: shrine interior with Varāha icon on an eastern platform, a lotus diagram on the floor with small deity emblems, attendant keeping tally on a scroll, intricate architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पूर्वपद्मे = पूर्व-पद्मे; सम्पूजयेत्तावत् = सम्पूजयेत् तावत्; षड्विंशमो = षड्विंशमः (पुं. प्रथमा एक.).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29.39 (pañcaviṃśatika-vyūha placement); Agni Purana 29 (Varāha and vyūha-related pūjā-vidhi context)
FAQs
It gives a precise ritual sequence (krama) for worship: place and worship Varāha at the eastern lotus position first, then perform ordered worship of the Vyūhas until the count reaches the twenty-sixth placement/deity in the prescribed scheme.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves practical liturgical procedure—mandala/lotus-based deity placement, sequential archana, and enumerated worship counts—showing the Agni Purana as a manual of temple and household ritual alongside theology.
Performing worship in the correct order and placement is presented as ensuring ritual completeness (sampūjā), aligning devotion with the cosmos-ordered emanations (Vyūhas), and thereby increasing the efficacy (phala) and purity of the rite.