Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 11
Worship of Gaurī and Others (Gauryādi-pūjā) — Mantra, Maṇḍala, Mudrā, Homa, and Mṛtyuñjaya Kalaśa-Rite
पीठपद्मद्वयं तारा द्विभुजा वा चतुर्भजा सिंहस्था वा वृकस्था वा अष्टाष्टादशसत्करा
pīṭhapadmadvayaṃ tārā dvibhujā vā caturbhajā siṃhasthā vā vṛkasthā vā aṣṭāṣṭādaśasatkarā
Tārā doit être visualisée avec un siège de double lotus; elle peut avoir deux bras ou quatre; elle peut être assise sur un lion ou sur un loup; et elle peut posséder huit ou dix-huit mains de bon augure.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Iconographic options for Tārā-dhyāna and murti design: seat type, arm-count variants, vāhana choice, and multi-hand configurations for ritual visualization and sculptural specification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Tārā-mūrti-lakṣaṇa: dvipadma-pīṭha, bāhu-bheda, vāhana, kara-saṅkhyā","lookup_keywords":["Tārā","dvipadma-pīṭha","dvibhuja-caturbhuja","siṃha-vṛka-vāhana","aṣṭa-aṣṭādaśa-kara"],"quick_summary":"Tārā is prescribed with a double-lotus seat and may be depicted with 2 or 4 arms, seated on lion or wolf, and optionally with 8 or 18 hands—providing sanctioned iconographic variants."}
Concept: Devī-dhyāna accepts sanctioned bhedas (variants) while preserving core identifiers (seat, śakti nature).
Application: Choose the variant matching one’s sampradāya/paddhati for consistent visualization, mantra-japa, and icon commissioning.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tantric Devata-Dhyana and Murti-lakshana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Goddess Tārā seated on a double lotus pedestal, shown in alternative depictions: two-armed or four-armed; mounted on a lion or a wolf; optionally radiating eight or eighteen hands in a symmetrical fan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Tārā on dvipadma seat, bold outlines, lion or wolf mount stylized, multiple arms arranged in rhythmic arcs, deep greens/ochres and temple-red background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Tārā with ornate crown and jewelry, gold foil on halo and lotus seat, lion/wolf mount richly decorated, eight or eighteen hands holding symbolic items.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear iconographic chart-like scene: Tārā variants side-by-side (2-arm/4-arm; lion/wolf), delicate shading, emphasis on correct lotus seat and hand symmetry.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, Tārā enthroned on double lotus in a garden pavilion, attendants and animals (lion/wolf) rendered naturalistically, many hands painted with fine detail and jewel tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional-instructional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अष्टाष्टादशसत्करा parsed as a coordinative numeric compound indicating alternative hand-counts; internal sandhi: सत्करा = सत् + करा (त् + क → त्क).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 325 (Devī-dhyāna and mūrti variants)
FAQs
It gives dhyāna–murti-lakṣaṇa (meditative iconography) for Tārā: her lotus seat, permissible arm-forms (2 or 4), possible vāhana/āsana (lion or wolf), and alternate multi-handed manifestations (8 or 18) used in sādhana and pūjā visualization.
Alongside law, polity, medicine, and warfare, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves practical ritual technology—precise deity-visualization standards that guide image-making, mantra-sādhana, and temple/household worship—showing its coverage of both spiritual practice and applied religious arts.
Correct dhyāna (visualization) is treated as essential for mantra-japa and pūjā to become focused and effective; aligning the mind with the prescribed form is said to strengthen devotion, concentration, and the intended spiritual fruit of the sādhana.