Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 12
Tvaritā-mūla-mantra and Related Details
Dīkṣā, Maṇḍala, Nyāsa, Japa, Homa, Siddhi, Mokṣa
पञ्च पञ्च प्रपूज्यास्तु स्वैः स्वैर् मन्त्रैः प्रपूजयेत् लोकपालान्न्यसेदष्टौ वाह्यतो गर्भमण्डले
pañca pañca prapūjyāstu svaiḥ svair mantraiḥ prapūjayet lokapālānnyasedaṣṭau vāhyato garbhamaṇḍale
Que las deidades prescritas sean debidamente veneradas en grupos de cinco; y que cada una sea adorada con su mantra propio. Luego, por medio del nyāsa, instálese a los ocho Lokapālas en la parte exterior del Garbha-maṇḍala.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Āvaraṇa-pūjā planning: sequencing mantra-worship and directional installation (nyāsa) of Dikpālas around a garbha-maṇḍala in yantra/maṇḍala worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dikpāla-nyāsa on the outer garbha-maṇḍala","lookup_keywords":["lokapāla","dikpāla","nyāsa","garbha-maṇḍala","āvaraṇa-pūjā"],"quick_summary":"Worship the prescribed deities in pentads with their own mantras, then install the eight directional guardians on the outer perimeter of the central maṇḍala as protective āvaraṇa."}
Concept: Cosmic order is stabilized by installing guardians of space; mantra and direction together create a protected sacred field (kṣetra).
Application: In pūjā/yantra practice, treat the perimeter as a protective boundary: complete āvaraṇa before deep inner worship.
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi (Tantric/Agamic Mandala-Nyāsa and Dikpāla Worship)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A square or circular maṇḍala with a central garbha (inner sanctum) and an outer ring where eight Dikpālas are installed at the cardinal and intercardinal points; priests performing mantra-pūjā in sets of five offerings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vivid colors, central yantra-maṇḍala with lotus core, eight dikpālas at directions with traditional attributes, priest in white performing nyāsa gestures, sacred lamps, minimal depth, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central garbha-maṇḍala as gilded lotus, eight dikpālas in small medallions around, heavy gold leaf highlights on crowns and ornaments, rich reds and greens, ritual vessels and flowers","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework, instructional diagram feel: labeled directions, central garbha circle, eight guardians placed precisely, priest demonstrating nyāsa mudrā, soft pastel palette with gold accents","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down ritual courtyard with a drawn maṇḍala, eight guardian figures at compass points, attendants holding incense and lamps, fine architectural detailing, delicate brushwork and patterned textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: prapūjyāstu = prapūjyāḥ + tu; svair = svaiḥ (visarga before s); lokapālānnyaset = lokapālān + nyaset; aṣṭau vāhyato = aṣṭau + bāhyataḥ (orthographic/recitational variant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Pūjā-vidhi sections on āvaraṇa-pūjā, nyāsa, and dikpāla-krama (within the same khanda/chapter cluster)
FAQs
It teaches mandala-vidhi sequencing: worship prescribed deity-groups (in fives) with their own mantras, then perform nyāsa to install the eight directional guardians (Lokapālas) on the outer perimeter of the garbha-maṇḍala.
It preserves practical liturgical technology—mantra-specific worship, mandala layout, and directional-guardian installation—showing the text’s coverage of temple/yantra ritual engineering alongside its many other disciplines.
Correctly honoring each deity with its own mantra and securing the directions via Lokapāla-nyāsa is held to stabilize the rite, protect the sacred space, and ensure the worship yields complete and unobstructed merit (puṇya).