Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 12
Trailokya-mohinī Śrī-Lakṣmī-ādi-pūjā and Durgā-yoga
Protective and Siddhi Rites
हेमकुम्भधराश् चैते कर्णिकायां श्रियं स्मरेत् चतुर्भुजां सुवर्णाभां सपद्मोर्ध्वभुजद्वयां
hemakumbhadharāś caite karṇikāyāṃ śriyaṃ smaret caturbhujāṃ suvarṇābhāṃ sapadmordhvabhujadvayāṃ
هؤلاء حَمَلةُ القِلال الذهبية؛ وفي قلب اللوتس (الكَرْنِكا) ينبغي استحضار «شري» (لاكشمي): ذات أربعة أذرع، متلألئة كالذهب، ترفع ذراعيها العلويين وتمسك بزهرتي لوتس.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Śrī/Lakṣmī dhyāna within lotus-maṇḍala: visualize Lakṣmī in the lotus pericarp with attendants holding golden pitchers; used for śrī-sādhana, prosperity rites, and āvaraṇa-pūjā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Karnikā-sthā Śrī (Lakṣmī) dhyāna with hema-kumbha-bhṛt attendants","lookup_keywords":["Śrī","Lakṣmī","karnikā","hema-kumbha","caturbhujā"],"quick_summary":"Place Lakṣmī in the lotus pericarp as four-armed and golden-radiant, with two upper arms raised holding lotuses, attended by figures bearing golden pitchers—an exact visualization template for Śrī worship."}
Alamkara Type: Upama
Concept: Śrī is invoked through centered visualization: the deity in the core (karnikā) with orderly attendants—symbolizing abundance, purity, and stability.
Application: In Śrī-pūjā, keep the mental image anchored at the ‘center’ (karnikā) and let attendants and offerings radiate outward, reinforcing focus and ritual coherence.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Śrī/Lakṣmī-dhyāna and lotus-maṇḍala visualization)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus maṇḍala with Lakṣmī seated/installed in the pericarp, golden-radiant and four-armed; her upper hands raised holding lotuses; attendants around her holding golden pitchers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: central lotus with prominent pericarp; Lakṣmī in golden hue, four arms, upper arms uplifted with lotuses; attendants bearing golden kumbhas; symmetrical sacred composition, bold outlines, deep reds/greens.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Lakṣmī in the lotus center with heavy gold foil work, embossed halo, gem-like ornaments; attendants with golden pitchers; rich silk textures and ornate arch framing the mandala.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant Lakṣmī iconography with soft shading; clear depiction of four arms and raised lotus-holding hands; attendants with kumbhas; diagrammatic lotus-pericarp emphasis for instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: Lakṣmī in a stylized lotus medallion, attendants offering golden pitchers; delicate floral borders, fine jewelry detail, subtle gold highlights, serene courtly atmosphere."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धराश् चैते = धराः + च + एते; सपद्मोर्ध्वभुजद्वयाम् = स-पद्म + ऊर्ध्वभुजद्वयाम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 307 (Śrī-dhyāna and lotus-maṇḍala sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a precise dhyāna (visualization) for Śrī/Lakṣmī: placing her in the lotus’s central pericarp (karṇikā) and specifying her iconography (four arms, golden hue, upper hands holding lotuses), along with attendant kumbha-bearers.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical ritual technology—maṇḍala/lotus visualization, deity iconometry, and worship cues—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of pūjā-vidhi and tantric-style dhyāna alongside other sciences.
Meditating on Śrī in the lotus-center is intended to invoke auspiciousness (śrī), prosperity, and inner purity by stabilizing the mind on a defined divine form during worship.