Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Yātrā-Maṇḍala-Cintā and Rājya-Rakṣaṇa: Auspicious Travel Rules and the Twelve-King Mandala
उदीची च तथा प्राची तयोरैक्यं प्रकीर्तितं पश्चिमा दक्षिणा या दिक् तयोरैक्यं तथैव च
udīcī ca tathā prācī tayoraikyaṃ prakīrtitaṃ paścimā dakṣiṇā yā dik tayoraikyaṃ tathaiva ca
The northern and the eastern directions are declared to be mutually allied (treated as a paired unity). Likewise, the western and the southern directions are also declared to be mutually allied.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Directional pairing used in vastu planning, ritual orientation, and interpreting directional omens (dik-sambandha).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Directional Pairing (Dik-aikya): North–East and West–South","lookup_keywords":["udici praci aikya","pascima daksina aikya","dik-nirnaya","vastu directions","ritual orientation"],"quick_summary":"Treat North with East as an allied pair, and West with South as another allied pair—useful for deciding orientation, movement, and directional correspondences in ritual and vastu."}
Concept: Space is structured through directional relations; practical life and ritual benefit from codified spatial correspondences.
Application: In site-planning or ritual seating/movement, apply paired-direction logic when a text prescribes effects by ‘allied’ quarters.
Khanda Section: Vastu-Shastra / Dik-nirnaya (Directions and their ritual-architectural equivalences)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A square vastu-mandala with cardinal directions labeled; North and East are linked with a band, and West and South linked similarly, shown as paired unities for planning.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized vastu-mandala on the floor with bold direction glyphs, a sthapati pointing to North–East pairing and West–South pairing, traditional tools, decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted compass rose and vastu grid, richly ornamented sthapati and patron, temple doorway in background, emphasis on sacred geometry with gilded lines.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, neat didactic diagram: compass with paired arrows (N↔E, W↔S), annotations in Devanagari, calm scholarly setting with measuring cord and stylus.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architect presenting a painted plan to a noble, fine geometric grid with direction labels, subtle shading, patterned carpet framing the mandala."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तयोरैक्यम् = तयोः + ऐक्यम्; तथैव = तथा + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 232 (dik-nirnaya within muhurta/omens context)
FAQs
It teaches a directional pairing principle: North is treated in conjunction with East, and West in conjunction with South—useful in Vāstu/ritual layouts where directions are grouped for planning, placement, and orientation.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied śāstra such as Vāstu and ritual-geometry; this verse is a compact rule for organizing space by directional theory, a practical knowledge-system embedded inside a Purāṇa.
By aligning constructions and rites with prescribed directional order, one is said to harmonize with cosmic regulation (ṛta/dharma), supporting purity and auspicious outcomes in worship, dwelling, and consecration.