Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 19
नगरादिवास्तुकथनं
Discourse on Vāstu for Cities and Related Settlements
स्याद्ग्रहद्विगुणं दैर्घ्यात्तिथिभिश् चैव विस्तरात् सावित्रः सालयः कुड्या अन्येषां पृथक्स्त्रिंशांशतः
syādgrahadviguṇaṃ dairghyāttithibhiś caiva vistarāt sāvitraḥ sālayaḥ kuḍyā anyeṣāṃ pṛthakstriṃśāṃśataḥ
Le sanctuaire intérieur (graha) doit avoir en longueur le double (du module) ; et, en largeur, il doit être étendu selon les tithi (jours lunaires). Il faut disposer la salle de type Sāvitra (sālaya) et son mur d’enceinte (kuḍyā) ; pour les autres types, chacun se mesure séparément selon la division triṃśāṃśa (un trentième).
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Setting proportional rules for garbhagṛha (sanctum) length/breadth and allocating measurements for halls and walls using modular divisions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Garbhagṛha-āyāma-vistāra: graha-dviguṇa dīrgha; tithi-vistāra; sāvitra-sālaya-kuḍyā; triṃśāṃśa modules","lookup_keywords":["garbhagṛha (graha)","tithi-vistāra","Sāvitra sālaya","kuḍyā","triṃśāṃśa"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes proportional sizing: sanctum length as double the module, breadth scaled by a tithi-based rule; then lays out the Sāvitra hall and enclosing wall, with other types measured via 1/30 modular divisions."}
Concept: Bandha (structured proportion) links sacred function to measurable form; time (tithi) is used as a sizing principle for space.
Application: In temple design, fix the sanctum module first, then derive length/breadth and ancillary structures by stated multipliers and modular fractions to maintain canonical harmony.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra (Temple/Architectural Measurements and Proportions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple ground-plan showing garbhagṛha labeled ‘graha’, a sālaya/maṇḍapa in front, and a surrounding kuḍyā; dimension arrows show ‘length = 2×’ and breadth keyed to ‘tithi’; a 1/30 modular grid overlays the plan.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized plan-view temple diagram with thick outlines, measuring cord across sanctum, labels in Devanagari, warm tones and decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embossed architectural diagram with sanctum highlighted, ornate border, small deity emblem at garbhagṛha center, dimension marks in red/black.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, precise instructional plate: modular grid (triṃśāṃśa), clear dimension lines, annotated components (graha, sālaya, kuḍyā), minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architect’s folio with plan and measurement notes, ruler and compass on carpet, fine calligraphy, floral margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्याद्ग्रहद्विगुणम् = स्यात् + ग्रहद्विगुणम्; दैर्घ्यात्तिथिभिः = दैर्घ्यात् + तिथिभिः; चैव = च + एव; पृथक्स्त्रिंशांशतः = पृथक् + त्रिंशांशतः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 105.17 (type lists and baseline dimensions); Agni Purana 105.20 (wall and vīthī rules)
FAQs
It gives Vāstu-śāstra proportional rules for laying out the sanctum (graha/garbhagṛha), the Sāvitra-type hall (śālā), and walls, including a thirtieth-part (1/30) modular division for other types.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical architectural canons—numeric proportional systems, typologies (e.g., Sāvitra), and planning rules—showing its coverage of applied sciences like Vāstu.
Correct proportioning of the sanctum and associated structures is treated as essential for an efficacious temple space, supporting proper worship and thereby accruing religious merit through well-ordered sacred construction.