Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 34
Chapter 92 — प्रतिष्ठाविधिकथनम्
Narration of the Consecration / Installation Procedure
आसां पद्मो महापद्मः शङ्खो ऽथ मकरस् तथा समुद्रश्चेति पञ्चामी निधिकुम्भाः क्रमाधः
āsāṃ padmo mahāpadmaḥ śaṅkho 'tha makaras tathā samudraśceti pañcāmī nidhikumbhāḥ kramādhaḥ
Unter diesen sind (die Schatzkrüge, nidhi-kumbha) Padma, Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Makara und Samudra—dies sind die fünfte Gruppe der nidhis (Schatzgefäße), der Reihe nach unten angeordnet.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Royal prosperity lore: identifying and ritually invoking/guarding the nidhis (treasure-vessels) as auspicious supports for wealth, sovereignty, and temple endowments.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Nidhi-Kumbha Names (Fifth Set): Padma–Samudra","lookup_keywords":["Nidhi","Padma","Mahāpadma","Śaṅkha","Makara"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates a specific ordered set of five nidhis (treasure-jars), used in prosperity symbolism, guardianship lists, and cosmological catalogues."}
Concept: Auspicious order (krama) and naming as a means to systematize prosperity symbols within cosmology and royal ideology.
Application: Use the list for ritual placement (kumbha-sthāpana), treasury symbolism, or iconographic planning in temples/palaces.
Khanda Section: Nidhi-lakshana (Treasures and their enumeration within Puranic cosmology/royal prosperity lore)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Five labeled treasure-jars arranged in order—Padma, Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Makara, Samudra—each with its emblem (lotus, conch, makara, ocean waves) in a cosmological/royal treasury tableau.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, row of ornate kumbhas with lotus and conch motifs, makara-headed ornamentation, ocean-wave band for Samudra, flat composition, temple decorative aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, five gilded treasure pots with heavy gold work, lotus and conch emblems in relief, makara motif, deep red/green background, auspicious kolam-like border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional diagram feel: five kumbhas neatly labeled, delicate shading, clear icon symbols (padma, śaṅkha, makara, waves), clean margins like a manuscript plate","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, royal treasury scene with five ceremonial jars on a carpet, attendants pointing to each, detailed textiles, subtle inscriptions, ocean motif painted as a miniature vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śaṅkho 'tha = śaṅkhaḥ atha; samudraśceti = samudraḥ ca iti.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 92 (Nidhi-lakṣaṇa passages)
FAQs
It imparts nidhi-vidyā in the sense of a formal enumeration: it names a specific set of five nidhis (treasure-repositories) and indicates their position in an ordered listing.
By cataloguing named nidhis and arranging them systematically, the text preserves a technical taxonomy of prosperity/treasury concepts alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, architecture, medicine, and poetics).
Remembering and reciting ordered sacred catalogues of auspicious entities (like nidhis) is traditionally treated as prosperity-invoking and merit-supporting, aligning wealth with dharmic order rather than mere acquisition.