Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 34
Chapter 93 — वास्तुपूजादिविधानम्
Procedure for Vāstu-worship and Related Rites
यथा देवालये न्यसस् तथा शतपदे हितः ग्रहाः स्कन्दादयस्तत्र विज्ञेयाश् चैव षट्पदाः
yathā devālaye nyasas tathā śatapade hitaḥ grahāḥ skandādayastatra vijñeyāś caiva ṣaṭpadāḥ
So wie die Mantra-Platzierungen (nyāsa) in einem Tempel vollzogen werden, so sind sie auch auf dem rituellen „hundertblättrigen“ Lotus ordnungsgemäß anzuordnen. Dort sind die Grahas (planetarischen Gottheiten) zu installieren; und Skanda und die übrigen sind ebenso als auf dem „sechsblättrigen“ Lotus befindlich zu verstehen.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Ritual layout of lotus/mandala for mantra-nyasa and devata-sthapana in puja, mapping deities to specific petal-grids (shatapada and shatpada).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nyāsa on Śatapatra and Ṣaṭpatra Padma (Graha & Skanda placement)","lookup_keywords":["nyasa","shatapada padma","shatpada lotus","graha-sthapana","skanda placement"],"quick_summary":"Perform nyāsa on the ritual lotus exactly as in a temple-installation scheme. Install the Grahas on the hundred-petalled lotus, and place Skanda and related deities on the six-petalled lotus."}
Concept: Microcosm–macrocosm mapping: temple-space principles replicated on the padma/maṇḍala through nyāsa and devatā-adhyāsa.
Application: Use consistent spatial theology: the same devatā-locations used in temple rites are mirrored on the ritual lotus for effective mantra-siddhi and orderly worship.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Temple ritual, Nyasa, and Mandala/Padma placement)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual altar with a large lotus-maṇḍala: a hundred-petalled lotus labeled with planetary deities, and a separate six-petalled lotus marked for Skanda and companions; a priest performs nyāsa with hand gestures and mantra recitation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vibrant colors, priest in traditional attire before a stylized padma-maṇḍala; Navagrahas placed on a hundred-petalled lotus ring, Skanda on a six-petalled lotus; sacred lamps, minimal depth, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights: central ritual lotus diagram, gold-outlined petals; small iconic Navagraha figures seated on petals; Skanda with spear (vel) on six-petalled lotus; rich reds and greens, temple lamp glow.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading: instructional depiction of padma-nyāsa layout with labeled petals; priest’s hands in nyāsa mudrā; subtle gold accents, clean geometry.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detail and architectural setting: a scholar-priest demonstrating lotus-maṇḍala placement on a cloth diagram; tiny planetary deities inscribed on petals; Skanda group on a smaller lotus; patterned floor, precise calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional-devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nyasas → nyāsaḥ (visarga restoration); skandādayas → skanda-ādayaḥ; vijñeyāś caiva → vijñeyāḥ ca eva; ṣaṭpadāḥ unchanged.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 93 (nyāsa/maṇḍala context); Agni Purana sections on graha-pūjā and devatā-nyāsa (elsewhere in ritual chapters)
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa-vinyāsa: how to place/assign specific deity groups onto specific lotus-diagrams—Grahas on the hundred-petalled lotus and Skanda’s group on the six-petalled lotus—mirroring temple-style installations.
It integrates temple liturgy, mandala/lotus-diagram geometry, and Jyotiṣa-linked deities (Grahas) into a single operational instruction—showing the text’s coverage of ritual technology alongside cosmological/astrological frameworks.
Correct nyāsa and deity-placement are treated as ensuring ritual purity, proper invocation, and alignment with cosmic forces (Grahas), thereby increasing the efficacy (siddhi) and merit (puṇya) of worship.