Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 9
नगरादिवास्तुकथनं
Discourse on Vāstu for Cities and Related Settlements
ब्रह्मेशान्तरकोष्ठस्थ मायाख्यान्तु पद्द्वये तदधश्चापवत्साख्यं केन्द्रन्तरेषु षट्पदे
brahmeśāntarakoṣṭhastha māyākhyāntu paddvaye tadadhaścāpavatsākhyaṃ kendrantareṣu ṣaṭpade
Dans les compartiments intérieurs de Brahmā et d’Īśa, place le (syllabe/siège) nommé Māyā sur la paire de pétales de lotus ; et au-dessous, place celui nommé Āpavatsa sur les six pétales situés entre les centres.
Lord Agni (in instruction mode, teaching ritual/nyāsa procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Chakra/padma-nyāsa: placing bīja/seat-names (Māyā, Āpavatsa) into specified lotus compartments/petals for internal visualization and ritual empowerment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Antaḥ-padma Koṣṭha-nyāsa (Māyā–Āpavatsa)","lookup_keywords":["chakra-nyasa","maya-bija","apavatsa","padma-petals","kendra"],"quick_summary":"The verse prescribes where to install ‘Māyā’ within the inner Brahmā–Īśa compartments on a pair of petals, and ‘Āpavatsa’ beneath, in the six inter-central petals—guiding precise inner-lotus mapping."}
Concept: Mantra becomes effective through nyāsa—systematic installation of power (śakti) into a structured inner space (padma/chakra).
Application: During dhyāna or pūjā, visualize/trace the lotus, then place the specified bīja/seat in the exact petals to maintain lineage-accurate practice.
Khanda Section: Yantra-Mantra / Tantra: Chakra-nyasa and inner-lotus (padma) mapping
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Yantra-region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-yantra with inner compartments labeled Brahmā and Īśa; two petals marked ‘Māyā’; below, a ring of six petals between centers marked ‘Āpavatsa’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sacred lotus-yantra with thick outlines, inner squares/koṣṭhas labeled Brahmā and Īśa, two petals glowing for Māyā, six interstitial petals for Āpavatsa, vermilion and ochre palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embossed lotus diagram, jeweled inner compartments, bīja labels in Devanagari, luminous petals highlighted with gold, devotional yantra aesthetic","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, precise geometric yantra drawing with annotations, clean petals and centers, instructional placement arrows for Māyā and Āpavatsa, restrained colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, finely ruled geometric lotus on paper, calligraphic labels, subtle shading, a scribe-priest placing letters into petals with a stylus"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ब्रह्मेशान्तरकोष्ठस्थ = ब्रह्म + ईश + अन्तर + कोष्ठ + स्थ; मायाख्यान्तु → मायाख्या + तु; पद्द्वये → पद्-द्वये; तदधश्च → तत् + अधः + च; केन्द्रन्तरेषु → केन्द्र-अन्तरेषु.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 105 (yantra-mantra nyāsa sequence around centers/petals)
FAQs
It gives a precise nyāsa/placement rule for a lotus (padma) or chakra diagram: where to install the loci named “Māyā” and “Āpavatsa” across specific petal-count sections and inter-center spaces.
Beyond narrative Purāṇic material, it preserves operational tantric-ritual technology—diagrammatic mapping, petal-count loci, and named placements—showing the text’s compendium-style coverage of mantra, yantra, and ritual engineering.
Correct placement (nyāsa) is held to ‘activate’ the mantra-seat within the practitioner’s ritual field, supporting concentration, protection, and siddhi-oriented worship by aligning the diagram’s inner compartments and petals with designated powers.