Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 48
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
उभे इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः यष्टव्यमिति यज्ञेन इति ग, घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकद्वयपाठः यष्टव्यमिति मन्त्रेण इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः प्रचेता मन्यते ध्रुवमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ह्युत्तममिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः द्वाराणां पार्श्वयोरन्तः षड् वा चत्वारि मध्यतः द्वे द्वे लुम्पेदेवमेव षड् भवन्त्युपशोभिकाः
ubhe iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ yaṣṭavyamiti yajñena iti ga, gha, cihnitapustakadvayapāṭhaḥ yaṣṭavyamiti mantreṇa iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ pracetā manyate dhruvamiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hyuttamamiti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ dvārāṇāṃ pārśvayorantaḥ ṣaḍ vā catvāri madhyataḥ dve dve lumpedevameva ṣaḍ bhavantyupaśobhikāḥ
Within the two inner side-panels of a doorway, one should carve (or set) six decorative members; or, in the central portion, four, leaving two and two as recesses. Thus, in this very manner, there come to be six subsidiary ornaments (upaśobhikās) for embellishment.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa frame)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Verse contains extensive critical apparatus text; analysis performed for the metrical pāda: dvārāṇāṃ ... upaśobhikāḥ. bhavantyupaśobhikāḥ = bhavanti + upaśobhikāḥ.
FAQs
It gives a Vāstu-śāstra instruction for doorway ornamentation: how many subsidiary decorative elements (upaśobhikās) to place/carve on the side and middle portions, using a specific two-by-two cut/recess arrangement.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical building science—fine-grained architectural detailing for doors and façades—showing it functions as a compendium of applied arts (śilpa/vāstu) alongside ritual and doctrine.
In Purāṇic Vāstu, correct architectural ornamentation is part of dharmic construction; building sacred spaces according to śāstra is held to support auspiciousness, harmony, and merit (puṇya) for patron and community.