Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 17
Chapter 312 — Various Mantras (नानामन्त्राः)
रक्ता चतुर्भुजा पाशवरदा दक्षिणे करे अङ्कुशाभययुक्तान्तां प्रार्थ्य सिद्धात्मना पुमान्
raktā caturbhujā pāśavaradā dakṣiṇe kare aṅkuśābhayayuktāntāṃ prārthya siddhātmanā pumān
Nachdem man die rotglänzende Göttin angerufen hat—vierarmig, die Schlinge (pāśa) haltend und Gaben spendend, mit der rechten Hand den Haken (aṅkuśa) und die Geste der Furchtlosigkeit—soll ein Mann mit vollendeter, disziplinierter Gesinnung sie anflehen.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Devī-dhyāna for mantra-sādhana: visualize the red four-armed Goddess with specified mudrā/āyudha, then supplicate with disciplined mind for siddhi.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Devī-dhyāna: Rakta-caturbhujā with pāśa, aṅkuśa, varada, abhaya","lookup_keywords":["Devī-dhyāna","rakta","caturbhujā","pāśa","aṅkuśa"],"quick_summary":"The verse provides a compact visualization template (color, arms, implements, gestures) and prescribes supplication by a mentally perfected sādhaka."}
Concept: Siddhi depends on ‘siddhātman’—a mind made steady/purified—paired with precise dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (form-specification).
Application: Before japa, stabilize attention (prāṇāyāma/nyāsa as per tradition), hold the iconographic image steadily, then offer concise stuti/prārthanā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra (Devi-dhyana and mantra-sadhana)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A red-complexioned four-armed Goddess appears in meditation: one hand grants boons, one gives fearlessness, the others hold noose and goad; a sādhaka kneels/sits in reverence, hands folded, mind focused.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, rakta Devī with bold red body tone, large expressive eyes, four arms with pāśa and aṅkuśa, varada and abhaya mudrās, ornate crown, lotus pedestal, sādhaka in añjali, flat stylized background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Devī on lotus with heavy gold ornamentation, clear depiction of pāśa and aṅkuśa, raised abhaya, varada with coins/boon symbolism, gold halo, temple prabhāmaṇḍala.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework showing mudrā positions accurately, gentle gradients on red complexion, sādhaka with japa-mālā, minimal background for instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a visionary epiphany: Devī hovering above a seated ascetic in a pavilion, delicate textiles, precise noose and goad, subdued yet luminous reds, manuscript border motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अङ्कुशाभययुक्तान्तां = अङ्कुश-अभय-युक्त-अन्ताम्; सिद्धात्मना = सिद्ध-आत्मना.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 312 (Devī-mantra and dhyāna sequences)
FAQs
It gives a dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (meditative iconography) for Devi-sādhana: visualize a red, four-armed Goddess with pāśa (noose), aṅkuśa (goad), varada (boon-giving) and abhaya (protection) and then formally pray to her with a disciplined, siddha-focused mind.
Alongside topics like polity, medicine, and warfare, the Agni Purana also preserves practical ritual technology—precise visualization details (āyudha/mudrā attributes) that function as a procedural component of mantra and pūjā manuals.
Correct dhyāna and reverent supplication are presented as prerequisites for siddhi—purifying intention, stabilizing the mind, and aligning the practitioner with Devi’s protective and boon-bestowing power.