Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 10
Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-Syllabled
Mantra) — Concluding Colophon (Chapter 304 end
पुरुषं पूरुषवटे विमले च जगत्प्रभुं अनन्तं सैन्धवारण्ये दण्डके शार्ङ्गधारिणम्
puruṣaṃ pūruṣavaṭe vimale ca jagatprabhuṃ anantaṃ saindhavāraṇye daṇḍake śārṅgadhāriṇam
At Pūruṣa-vaṭa one should remember the Supreme Person; at Vimala, the Lord of the universe; in the Saindhava forest, Ananta; and in Daṇḍaka, the Bow-bearer (Śārṅgadhārin, i.e., Viṣṇu).
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Use as a kṣetra-index for Viṣṇu-smṛti: when visiting or mentally invoking these places, recite the corresponding epithet to anchor worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kṣetra-smarana: Puruṣa, Jagatprabhu, Ananta, Śārṅgadhārin by place","lookup_keywords":["Pūruṣavaṭa","Vimala","Saindhava-araṇya","Daṇḍaka","Śārṅgadhārin"],"quick_summary":"Associates four sacred locales with four Viṣṇu-identities; serves as a mnemonic for remembrance and pilgrimage liturgy."}
Weapon Type: Bow
Concept: Eka-deva in many upādhis: the same Lord is approached through distinct names tied to place and function.
Application: In travel or daily sandhyā/pūjā, recite the name corresponding to the remembered locale to cultivate continuous smṛti.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya / Vishnu-Smriti (Sacred Geography and Remembrance of Hari)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha/Forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred itinerary tableau: a banyan/vaṭa shrine for Puruṣa, a tīrtha named Vimala, a forest hermitage for Ananta, and Daṇḍaka with Viṣṇu holding the Śārṅga bow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural montage with four compartments: vaṭa tree with Viṣṇu aura labeled Puruṣa, bright tīrtha pool for Jagatprabhu, dense forest with serpent symbolism for Ananta, and Daṇḍaka scene with bow-bearing Viṣṇu, traditional ornamental frame.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold-work: central Śārṅgadhārin Viṣṇu with prominent bow, surrounding medallions showing vaṭa (Puruṣa), Vimala tīrtha (Jagatprabhu), Saindhava forest with Ananta motif, heavy gold halo and jewelry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional painting: clean labeled panels with minimal background, each panel shows the place-sign (tree, tīrtha, forest, forest with bow-bearing deity), devotee with mālā at bottom, soft colors and fine outlines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature landscape sequence: banyan grove, clear bathing ghat, arid forest track, and Daṇḍaka woodland; a small figure of Viṣṇu appears in each scene with distinct attribute (serpent/bow), detailed flora and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जगत्प्रभुम् = जगत् + प्रभुम् (t-sandhi). सैन्धवारण्ये treated as तत्पुरुष compound.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 304 (continuation of tīrtha-nāma smaraṇa)
FAQs
It prescribes kṣetra-anusmaraṇa: remembering specific epithets/forms of Viṣṇu associated with particular tīrthas (Pūruṣa-vaṭa, Vimala, Saindhava forest, Daṇḍaka) as a practical devotional rite during pilgrimage.
It catalogs sacred places together with their corresponding divine identifications, functioning like a geographic-devotional index—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic features alongside its sections on ritual, polity, medicine, and arts.
Kṣetra-based remembrance of Viṣṇu is presented as a purifying act that strengthens bhakti and accrues religious merit (puṇya), aligning the pilgrim’s mind with the presiding deity of each sacred region.