Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 41
Liṅga-māna-ādi-kathana
Measurements and Related Particulars of the Liṅga
चतुस्त्रिरेकवदनं मुखलिङ्गमतः शृणु पूजाभागं प्रकर्तव्यं मूर्त्यग्निपदकल्पितं
catustrirekavadanaṃ mukhaliṅgamataḥ śṛṇu pūjābhāgaṃ prakartavyaṃ mūrtyagnipadakalpitaṃ
Höre die Lehre von den Gesichtszeichen (mukha-liṅga): das Bild Agnis wird als viergesichtig, dreigesichtig oder sogar eingesichtig beschrieben. Der «rituelle Anteil» (Anteil an Verehrung und Opfergaben) ist gemäß Rang und Gestalt des verkörperten Agni (mūrti‑Agni) festzusetzen.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Designing Agni icons with correct number of faces and allocating worship portions/offerings according to the specific Agni-mūrti rank used in a rite.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agni-mūrti mukha-bheda and pūjā-bhāga allocation","lookup_keywords":["Agni-mūrti","catur-vadana","mukha-liṅga","pūjā-bhāga","mūrti-agni"],"quick_summary":"States that Agni icons may be four-, three-, or one-faced and that the distribution of worship portions should be assigned in accordance with the particular embodied Agni form."}
Concept: Right measure and right distribution (bhāga) sustain ritual order; form and offering must correspond.
Application: Priests calibrate offerings (havis, upacāras) and artisans choose icon type to match the intended rite (śrauta/smārta/temple pūjā contexts).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Murti-lakshana and worship allocations for Agni forms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three Agni icons displayed side-by-side: one-faced, three-faced, and four-faced; a priest marks different offering portions on a ritual tray corresponding to each form.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, vivid Agni with multiple faces and flames; priest performing pūjā with labeled offering portions; temple interior motifs and lamp-lit ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central four-faced Agni with gold flame aureole; inset panels of three- and one-faced forms; gold-highlighted offering vessels arranged by ‘bhāga’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition: front-view icon diagrams with face counts; a chart showing pūjā-bhāga distribution; fine linework and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritual pavilion scene with a learned priest explaining to attendants; illustrated folio shows Agni forms and offering allocations; detailed textiles and utensils."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Agni (rāga conceptually apt)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चतुस्त्रिरेकवदनं = चतुस् + त्रि + एक + वदनम्; मुखलिङ्गम् = मुख + लिङ्गम्; मूर्त्यग्निपदकल्पितं = मूर्ति + अग्नि + पद + कल्पितम् (य्-आगमः: मूर्ति + अग्नि → मूर्त्यग्नि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 54 (Agni-mūrti lakṣaṇa and pūjā allocations continuing)
FAQs
It teaches iconographic options for Agni (one-, three-, or four-faced forms) and instructs that the distribution of worship portions/offerings (pūjā-bhāga) must follow a graded prescription based on the specific mūrti-form and its ritual rank (pada).
It shows the text functioning like a ritual manual: it combines murti-lakshana (iconographic specification) with procedural worship rules (allocation of honors/offerings), demonstrating the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical temple-ritual governance alongside theology.
Correctly matching offerings and honors to the prescribed form and rank of the deity is presented as a way to maintain ritual order (dharma) and ensure the intended purity and merit (puṇya) of the worship, avoiding ritual mismatch (doṣa).