Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 23 — पूजाविधिकथनम्
The Account of the Rules of Worship
धर्मं ज्ञानं च वैराग्यमैश्वर्यं वह्निदिङ्मुखाः अधर्मादीनि गात्राणि पूर्वादौ योगपीठके
dharmaṃ jñānaṃ ca vairāgyamaiśvaryaṃ vahnidiṅmukhāḥ adharmādīni gātrāṇi pūrvādau yogapīṭhake
Le dharma, la connaissance, le détachement (vairāgya) et la souveraineté (aiśvarya) doivent être placés sur la face de la direction du Feu et sur les autres faces directionnelles ; tandis que l’adharma et le reste sont assignés comme membres, en commençant par l’Est, sur le siège yogique (yogapīṭha).
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s ritual-yogic schema to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Directional nyāsa on the yogapīṭha: mapping virtues (dharma, jñāna, vairāgya, aiśvarya) to dik-faces and mapping their opposites as limbs to stabilize visualization and ritual purity before pūjā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Yogapīṭha-diknyāsa of virtues and limbs","lookup_keywords":["yogapitha","diknyasa","dharma-jnana-vairagya-aishvarya","adharma","anganyasa"],"quick_summary":"Assign dharma–jñāna–vairāgya–aiśvarya to the directional faces (beginning with the fire-direction) and place adharma etc. as limbs from the east on the yogic seat, creating a moral-cosmic map for stable worship."}
Concept: Ethical-gnostic qualities are treated as spatial powers; their placement externalizes inner cultivation and guards against adharma through ritual cognition.
Application: Use nyāsa as a checklist: establish dharma/jñāna/vairāgya/aiśvarya first, then consciously reject their opposites while entering worship.
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya / Devata-Anganyasa and Yogapitha (Tantric-ritual mapping of virtues and directions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual yogapīṭha diagram with directional faces; virtues inscribed at the fire-direction and other quarters, and limbs labeled from the east with adharma etc., shown as a tantric mapping around a central seat.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy reds and greens, a square yogapīṭha with dik-faces, Sanskrit labels for dharma jñāna vairāgya aiśvarya, subtle flame motif for agni-direction, priest performing nyāsa gestures","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf borders, stylized mandala-yogapīṭha on a pedestal, embossed quarter-panels with virtue inscriptions, rich ornamentation, lamp-lit sanctum ambience","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework instructional diagram: yogapīṭha with compass directions, labeled placements for virtues and limb-assignments, a sādhaka seated doing kara-nyāsa","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly precision: a scholar-priest over a painted mandala on the floor, directional cartouches naming virtues, delicate architectural interior, fine calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वैराग्यमैश्वर्यम् = वैराग्यम् + ऐश्वर्यम्; वह्निदिङ्मुखाः = वह्नि + दिक् + मुखाः; अधर्मादीनि = अधर्म + आदीनि; पूर्वादौ = पूर्व + आदौ; योगपीठके = योग + पीठके
Related Themes: Agni Purana 23 (Yoga-vidyā: nyāsa, yogapīṭha, maṇḍala-pūjā sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a nyāsa-style assignment on the yogapīṭha: placing core virtues (dharma, jñāna, vairāgya, aiśvarya) into directional “faces,” and mapping opposing factors (starting with adharma) onto the limbs as part of a ritual-yogic diagram practice.
Beyond narrative theology, it preserves applied ritual-technology—directional mandala logic, yogapīṭha construction, and virtue/limb correspondences—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical yoga-tantra procedures alongside dharma and philosophy.
By ritually installing dharma and allied powers into the directional field and relegating adharma to a controlled limb-mapping, the practitioner symbolically orders the inner body-mind cosmos, supporting purification, steadiness in practice, and alignment with dharmic merit.