Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 19
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
स्वाङ्गान्मन्त्रैर् न्यसेद्गात्राण्यधर्मादीनि दिक्षु च तत्र पद्मञ्च सुर्यादिमण्डले त्रितयं गुणान्
svāṅgānmantrair nyasedgātrāṇyadharmādīni dikṣu ca tatra padmañca suryādimaṇḍale tritayaṃ guṇān
With mantras, one should perform nyāsa upon one’s own limbs; and one should also place adharma and the other negative principles in the directions. There, one should further install the lotus, and within the solar and other mandalas install the triad of the guṇas.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Nyāsa expands from body to directional mandala: install mantras on limbs, place adharma etc. in directions, establish lotus, then install guṇas within solar and other mandalas for complete ritual cosmos.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Directional Nyāsa: Adharma in Dik, Lotus and Guṇa-traya in Mandalas","lookup_keywords":["dik-nyāsa","adharma","padma","sūrya-maṇḍala","guṇa-traya"],"quick_summary":"After bodily nyāsa, externalize the mandala by assigning negative principles to directions, establishing a lotus-base, and installing sattva-rajas-tamas within solar and related mandalas."}
Concept: Ritual maps metaphysics onto space: guṇa-traya and dharma/adharma principles are positioned within a mandalic cosmos, making worship a microcosmic re-ordering of reality.
Application: When performing mandala-pūjā, consciously assign directions and mandalas to ethical/metaphysical categories, using mantra to ‘contain’ and transform disorder (adharma) into a governed field.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa, Mandala, and Tantric-style ritual installation)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual mandala around the practitioner: directions marked with installed principles (adharma etc.), a central lotus, and concentric solar and other mandalas containing the three guṇas as colored energies.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top-down mandala view: central padma, surrounding concentric circles labeled sūrya-maṇḍala and others, corners/directions holding dark symbolic forms for adharma, vivid flat colors and temple geometry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate mandala with gold-leaf lotus center, radiant sun-disc, three guṇas as three jewel-like forms within circles, rich reds and greens, symmetrical sacred diagram aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear diagrammatic mandala with directional markers, lotus center, sun mandala, and three guṇa icons; fine lines, readable structure, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, delicate geometric mandala on a carpet-like ground, sun disc rendered with fine rays, three guṇas as colored medallions, directional cartouches holding adharma symbols."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Malkauns","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svāṅgānmantraiḥ → sva-aṅgāt + mantraiḥ; nyasedgātrāṇi → nyaset + gātrāṇi; adharmādīni → adharma + ādīni; padmañca → padmam + ca; suryādimaṇḍale → sūrya + ādi + maṇḍale.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303.15-303.18 (nyāsa preliminaries and internal installation)
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa (mantra-assignment) on the practitioner’s limbs and a mandala-based visualization: placing certain principles in the directions, establishing a lotus-seat, and installing the three guṇas within solar and related mandalas.
It shows the text functioning as a ritual manual: combining mantra-nyāsa, directional mapping, mandala architecture, and Sāṃkhya-style guṇa doctrine—integrating liturgy, cosmology, and philosophy into a single procedural instruction.
By ritually assigning and relegating adharma-related forces to controlled directions and installing guṇas within a sanctified mandala, the practitioner symbolically purifies the body-mind field and stabilizes worship in an ordered cosmic framework.