Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 9
Chapter 48 — Account of the Hymn to the Twenty-Four Forms
Caturviṁśati-mūrti-stotra-kathana
सुरेशोर्यब्जशङ्खाढ्यः श्रीगदी पुरुषोत्तमः अधोक्षजः पद्मगदी शङ्खी चक्री च पातु वः
sureśoryabjaśaṅkhāḍhyaḥ śrīgadī puruṣottamaḥ adhokṣajaḥ padmagadī śaṅkhī cakrī ca pātu vaḥ
Möge die Höchste Person—Adhokṣaja, Puruṣottama—geschmückt mit Lotos und Muschel, die glückverheißende Keule tragend und zudem Lotos‑Keule, Muschel und Diskus führend—euch beschützen.
Lord Agni (narrating the stotra/protective formula within the Agni Purana discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Protective praise invoking Viṣṇu as Adhokṣaja/Puruṣottama with emblem-description; recited for personal and household protection during pūjā.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Protective epithets of Viṣṇu: Adhokṣaja–Puruṣottama with lotus, conch, mace, discus","lookup_keywords":["Adhokshaja","Purushottama","Vishnu protection","shankha chakra gada padma","Suresha"],"quick_summary":"A rakṣā-stuti identifying the Supreme Person through transcendent names and visible emblems; used to invoke safeguarding and auspiciousness."}
Alamkara Type: Nāma-mālā; epithets with guṇa-vācaka compounds
Concept: Adhokṣaja: the Supreme not grasped by senses; Puruṣottama: highest Person—yet approachable through devotion and dhyāna on form.
Application: Use as a contemplation cue: repeat the names while visualizing the four emblems, shifting mind from sensory to transcendent focus.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Vishnu-stotra (Protective hymn and iconographic epithets of Vishnu)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Viṣṇu as the transcendent Adhokṣaja: serene, radiant, four-armed with lotus and conch, holding mace and discus; protective stance facing the devotee.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, majestic Viṣṇu labeled Adhokṣaja/Puruṣottama, four arms with conch discus mace lotus, calm eyes, luminous aura, subtle devas in background acknowledging ‘Suresha’, ornate border","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Viṣṇu with prominent gold halo and jewelry, conch and lotus highlighted, discus and mace gleaming, inscription-like cartouche with names Adhokṣaja and Puruṣottama, devotional symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined facial features and soft gradients, clear depiction of each emblem, minimal background, contemplative mood emphasizing transcendence","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, Viṣṇu in a pavilion with delicate floral motifs, devas respectfully placed, detailed rendering of conch and discus, subdued yet regal palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sureśoryabjaśaṅkhāḍhyaḥ = सुरेशः + उर्य(=उरि/उरस्) + अब्ज + शङ्ख + आढ्यः (ः + उ → ओ; य-आगम/पाठभेद सम्भव)
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa Puja-vidhi: Viṣṇu-stotra and rakṣā passages in chapter 48
FAQs
It functions as a kavacha-style protective invocation, teaching the ritual use of Vishnu’s iconographic epithets (conch, discus, mace, lotus) as a recited safeguard (rakṣā) during worship or daily prayer.
By preserving a compact, practice-oriented stotra that encodes Vaishnava theology and iconography into a usable liturgical formula, the text demonstrates its wide scope—covering not only narratives but also applied ritual recitation and devotional methodology.
Reciting such protective epithets is traditionally held to invoke divine guardianship, remove obstacles, and purify the mind through remembrance of the transcendent Lord (Adhokṣaja), thereby supporting merit (puṇya) and steadiness in dharma.