Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 38
Vāsudevādi-pratimā-lakṣaṇa-vidhiḥ
Iconographic and Iconometric Procedure for Vāsudeva and the Vyūha Forms
तस्मादभ्यधिकं मध्ये ततो निम्नतरं क्रमात् विस्तृताष्टाङ्गुलं जानुत्रिगुणा परिणाहतः
tasmādabhyadhikaṃ madhye tato nimnataraṃ kramāt vistṛtāṣṭāṅgulaṃ jānutriguṇā pariṇāhataḥ
Ainsi, le milieu doit être légèrement plus élevé, puis, selon l’ordre, s’abaisser graduellement. La largeur doit être de huit aṅgulas, et la circonférence au genou doit être triple de cette largeur.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the usual Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Using proportional limb contours (slightly raised mid, tapering) and knee measures for assessing/constructing ideal anatomy in both medical observation (śārīra-pramāṇa) and iconometry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Jānu (knee) breadth and circumference with graded contouring","lookup_keywords":["jānu","aṣṭa-aṅgula","pariṇāha","triguṇa","pramāṇa-śāstra"],"quick_summary":"Instructs a gentle convexity at the middle with gradual lowering, setting knee breadth at 8 aṅgulas and circumference at three times the breadth."}
Concept: Śārīra-pramāṇa: the body is knowable through measurable structure and orderly gradation (krama).
Application: Apply graded contour rules in anatomical drawing, prosthetic/orthotic shaping, or icon limb modeling to avoid unnatural angularity.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Śārīra / Pramāṇa-śāstra: bodily measurements and proportions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Close study of a leg: the knee shown with a gentle central prominence and smooth tapering above and below, annotated with 8-aṅgula breadth and 3× circumference.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized leg segment with knee highlighted, smooth curves, measurement marks in traditional script-like labels, workshop/vaidya setting blended.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, devotional figure with emphasized knee contour and ornamental yet anatomically proportioned leg, gold accents framing measurement callouts.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic knee with clear aṅgula ticks, arrows showing ‘triguṇa pariṇāha’, soft pastel wash and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, anatomical study page in an atelier: artist paints a leg with knee measurements, marginal notes, fine shading and paper texture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tasmādabhyadhikaṃ → tasmāt abhyadhikam; vistṛtāṣṭāṅgulaṃ → vistṛta-aṣṭa-aṅgulam; jānutriguṇā → jānu-triguṇā
Related Themes: Agni Purana 44 (limb pramāṇa sequence: thigh–knee–shin–foot)
FAQs
It gives a technical pramāṇa (measurement) rule: a form should be slightly raised at the center, tapering gradually, with a defined breadth of eight aṅgulas and a circumference measured as threefold at the knee—an anthropometric standard used in śārīra (anatomical/proportional) assessment.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical standards of measurement (aṅgula, pariṇāha) and proportional rules used in Ayurveda/śārīra and allied applied sciences, showing its wide-ranging, handbook-like coverage of technical knowledge.
By prescribing correct proportions and orderly form, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal that harmony (saṃsthāna) and right measure (pramāṇa) support health, discipline, and sattvic order—qualities treated as conducive to purity and auspicious living.