Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 15
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
द्वाराणां पार्श्वतः शोभा अष्टौ कुर्याद्विचक्षणः पङ्क्तिद्वयं द्वयं दिक्षु वीथ्यर्थं विनियोजयेदिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः तत्पार्श्व उपशोभास्तु तावत्यः परिकीर्तिताः लतावितानपत्राद्यैर् वीथिकामुपशोभयेत् पीठद्वारे तु शुक्लेन शोभारक्तेन पीततः
dvārāṇāṃ pārśvataḥ śobhā aṣṭau kuryādvicakṣaṇaḥ paṅktidvayaṃ dvayaṃ dikṣu vīthyarthaṃ viniyojayediti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ tatpārśva upaśobhāstu tāvatyaḥ parikīrtitāḥ latāvitānapatrādyair vīthikāmupaśobhayet pīṭhadvāre tu śuklena śobhāraktena pītataḥ
Ein kundiger Baumeister soll an den beiden Seiten der Tore acht Zierelemente anbringen. Als zwei Reihen (oder zwei Gruppen) in jeder Richtung geordnet, sind sie zur Bildung und Verschönerung des Ganges (vīthī) zu verwenden. Diese seitlichen Nebenornamente werden in derselben Zahl genannt. Den Korridor schmücke man mit Rankenwerk, baldachinartigen Gehängen, Blattornamenten und dergleichen; und am Tor des Sockels (pīṭha-dvāra) soll die Zier in Weiß, in glückverheißendem Rot und in Gelb ausgeführt werden.
Lord Agni (teaching Vāstu-vidyā in the Agni Purāṇa dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Guidelines for doorway ornamentation and corridor beautification in a prāsāda/pīṭha context: eight side-decorations, arrangement in rows for vīthi, and specific decorative motifs and auspicious colors at the base doorway.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Dvāra-pārśva-śobhā (eight side-ornaments) and vīthikā decoration with auspicious colors","lookup_keywords":["dvāra-śobhā","aṣṭa-upaśobhā","vīthikā","latā-vitāna","śukla-rakta-pīta"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates a standard count (eight) of doorway side-ornaments, assigns them to beautify the passageway, and prescribes corridor motifs (creepers, canopies, leaf-ornaments) with auspicious white/red/yellow decoration at the pīṭha doorway."}
Concept: Śobha (beauty) is a dhārmic function of sacred building—orderly ornament and auspicious colors support maṅgala and proper reception of the deity and devotees.
Application: In temple or shrine renovation, standardize doorway ornament counts and use traditional auspicious palettes (white/red/yellow) at entrances to maintain ritual propriety.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra / Prāsāda-vidhi (Temple Architecture and Ornamentation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple base doorway with flanking sets of eight ornaments, corridors decorated with creeper scrolls, canopy festoons, and leaf motifs; painters apply white, auspicious red, and yellow at the pīṭha-dvāra.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, frontal view of a shrine doorway with symmetrical side-ornaments (eight), corridor walls filled with latā and patra motifs, white-red-yellow accents at the threshold, warm lamp-lit ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly ornamented doorway with gold relief work, eight side panels, corridor festoons, strong auspicious palette—white highlights, vermilion red, bright yellow, ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, architectural elevation drawing rendered as painting: doorway flanked by eight decorative units, corridor motif samples (creeper, canopy, leaf) shown clearly, color swatches white/red/yellow","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed architectural interior with a decorated corridor, artisans painting vine and leaf arabesques, doorway framed by repeated ornaments, subtle use of white, red, and yellow pigments"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kuryādvicakṣaṇaḥ→kuryāt vi-cakṣaṇaḥ; vīthyarthaṃ→vīthi-artham; viniyojayediti→viniyojayet iti; upaśobhāstu→upaśobhāḥ tu; vīthikāmupaśobhayet→vīthikām upaśobhayet; pīṭhadvāre→pīṭha-dvāre; śobhāraktena→śobhā-raktena.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (vīthi/dvāra formation and color rules in 29.14; continuation of vāstu-maṇḍala instructions)
FAQs
It gives a Vāstu-śāstra specification: provide eight side-ornaments for doorways, arrange them in paired rows by direction to enhance the vīthī (passage), and apply prescribed decorative motifs (creepers, festoons, leaves) and auspicious colors (white, red, yellow) at the pīṭha-dvāra.
Beyond theology, it preserves applied architectural standards—layout logic (directional arrangement), ornament taxonomy (latā, vitāna, patra), and color prescriptions—showing the Agni Purāṇa as a compendium of sacred building science (Vāstu/prāsāda-vidhi).
In temple Vāstu, correct doorway and corridor ornamentation is treated as auspicious ordering of sacred space; it supports purity, welcome, and devotional focus, thereby aiding merit (puṇya) through proper consecrated design.