Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 7
नगरादिवास्तुकथनं
Discourse on Vāstu for Cities and Related Settlements
पितरं द्वारपालञ्च सुग्रीवं पुष्पदन्तकं वरुणं दैत्यशेषौ च यक्ष्माणं पश्चिमे सदा
pitaraṃ dvārapālañca sugrīvaṃ puṣpadantakaṃ varuṇaṃ daityaśeṣau ca yakṣmāṇaṃ paścime sadā
In westlicher Richtung soll man stets (anordnen/anrufen) die Pitṛs (Ahnen), den Dvārapāla (Torwächter), Sugrīva, Puṣpadantaka, Varuṇa, die übrigen Daityas und Yakṣmāṇa setzen.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Quarter-wise placement/invocation of guardians and beings in the West for vāstu-maṇḍala, doorway protection, and ritual boundary-setting.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Paścima Dikdevatā-nyāsa (Pitṛ–Dvārapāla–Varuṇādi)","lookup_keywords":["pascima-dik","Pitr","Dvarapala","Varuna","vastu-mandala"],"quick_summary":"The verse lists entities to be installed in the western quarter—Pitṛs, door-guardian, named attendants, Varuṇa, and others—supporting protective and orderly spatial consecration."}
Concept: Spatial dharma: guardians and ancestral forces are acknowledged and stationed to harmonize the built/ritual environment.
Application: In temple/house vāstu or pūjā-maṇḍala, assign western quarter and doorway guardians to prevent doṣa (inauspiciousness) and ensure ritual containment.
Khanda Section: Vastu & Dikpala-Devata Nyasa (Directional Deities and Guardians in Ritual/Vastu layout)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Sacred-direction
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A western quadrant of a ritual diagram showing Pitṛ symbols (piṇḍa/tilodaka), a fierce Dvārapāla at the doorway, and Varuṇa with pāśa, all arranged as prescribed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, doorway with twin dvārapālas, Varuṇa in the western panel holding pāśa, Pitṛs shown as serene ancestral figures receiving water-offering, strong outlines and temple-wall composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, ornate doorway guardian with gold relief, Varuṇa seated on makara with gold halo, Pitṛs depicted above with offering vessels, quadrant framing in gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional vāstu layout with west marked, small dvārapāla at threshold, Varuṇa icon, Pitṛ offering diagram (tilodaka), neat captions","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a ritual pavilion with west side emphasized, priest placing offerings for Pitṛs, a guard figure at the door, Varuṇa painted as a regal deity with water motifs"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्वारपालञ्च → द्वारपालम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 105 (dikpāla/nyāsa sequence around the maṇḍala)
FAQs
It gives a Vastu/ritual-nyāsa instruction: which deities and guardian figures are to be assigned to the western direction as part of a directional layout (dik-vinyāsa) for worship or sacred architecture.
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied ritual-technology—standardized directional assignments of deities used in temple planning, protective rites, and mandala-based worship—showing the text’s coverage of Vastu and liturgical procedure.
Correct directional placement is treated as harmonizing sacred space and invoking protection; aligning with prescribed dik-devatā order is believed to remove obstacles and stabilize the merit (puṇya) of the rite performed in that space.