Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 21
Mantras for the Parasol and Other Royal/Worship Emblems (छत्रादिमन्त्रादयः)
अश्विनौ सह गन्धर्वैः पान्तु त्वां सर्वतो दिशः मन्वो वसवो रुद्रा वायुः सोमो महर्षयः
aśvinau saha gandharvaiḥ pāntu tvāṃ sarvato diśaḥ manvo vasavo rudrā vāyuḥ somo maharṣayaḥ
May the Aśvins, together with the Gandharvas, protect you from all directions. May the Manus, the Vasus, the Rudras, Vāyu, Soma, and the great seers also protect you.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating Agni Purana’s ritual/protective procedures to a sage, commonly Vasiṣṭha in the frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"All-direction protection invocation during pūjā, travel, initiation, or royal rites by calling Aśvins, Gandharvas, Manus, Vasus, Rudras, Vāyu, Soma, and Ṛṣis.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sarvato-Dik Rakṣā: Aśvin–Gandharva and Deva-Ṛṣi Gaṇa Invocation","lookup_keywords":["Aśvinau","Gandharva","Vasu","Rudra-gaṇa","sarvato-dik"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates protective classes of deities and seers to establish a comprehensive, all-direction safeguard in ritual context."}
Concept: Protection is conceived as multi-layered—devas (Vasus/Rudras), cosmic forces (Vāyu/Soma), progenitors/law-givers (Manus), and seers—forming a total spiritual ecology of support.
Application: Recite as a ‘sarvato-rakṣā’ during digbandha; mentally place each class as a protective ring around oneself or the yajamāna.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Raksha-mantra (Protective invocation and directional guardianship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual space protected from all sides: Aśvins appear as twin divine physicians, Gandharvas as celestial musicians, while Manus, Vasus, Rudras, Vāyu, Soma, and great Ṛṣis form concentric protective circles.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, twin Aśvins symmetrically placed, Gandharvas with vīṇā and drums, Vāyu as flowing wind deity, Soma as moon-god, rows of Vasus and Rudras, Ṛṣis with matted hair, circular protective layout around a small altar","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central altar with gold, Aśvins as twin crowned deities, Gandharvas in musical poses, Soma with lunar halo, Vāyu with fluttering scarf motifs, Vasus/Rudras in orderly tiers, heavy gold ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic concentric āvaraṇa: inner Aśvins, then Gandharvas, then Manus/Vasus/Rudras, outer ring Vāyu/Soma/Ṛṣis, clean labels and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined courtly depiction of celestial assembly above a pavilion, Gandharvas performing music, twin Aśvins arriving on horses, sages seated in discourse, moonlit Soma presence, delicate borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्वो = मन्वः (visarga → o before voiced consonant); महर्षयः = महा + ऋषि (समास).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 268 (Rakṣā-mantra sequence invoking gaṇas)
FAQs
It teaches a rakṣā-prayoga (protective application): invoking specific divine classes (Aśvins, Gandharvas, Manus, Vasus, Rudras, Vāyu, Soma, Maharṣis) to establish all-direction protection (sarvato-diśaḥ rakṣā).
It functions as a compact catalog of Vedic-Puranic deity groups used in applied ritual—showing how the text preserves liturgical lists, cosmological classes of beings, and their practical deployment in protection rites.
Recitation aligns the practitioner with protective divine forces, aiming at removal of obstacles and safeguarding one’s body and undertakings; karmically it is framed as a purificatory, merit-supporting act through reverent remembrance (smaraṇa) and invocation (āhvāna).