Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 4
Chapter 46 — शालग्रामादिमूर्तिलक्षणकथनं
Exposition of the Characteristics of Śālagrāma and Other Sacred Forms
परमेष्ठो साब्जचक्रः पृष्ठच्छिद्रकश् च विन्दुमान् स्थूलचक्रो ऽसितो विष्णुर्मध्ये रेखा गदाकृतिः
parameṣṭho sābjacakraḥ pṛṣṭhacchidrakaś ca vindumān sthūlacakro 'sito viṣṇurmadhye rekhā gadākṛtiḥ
Le disque de Parameṣṭhin porte la marque du lotus ; il a une perforation au revers et un point au centre. Le disque de Viṣṇu a un bord épais et une teinte sombre ; en son milieu se trouve une ligne en forme de massue (gadā).
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Design-specs for chakra/yantra marks used in worship diagrams, emblem carving, and consecration—distinguishing Parameṣṭhin and Viṣṇu by specific signs (padma-mark, back perforation, bindu, central gadā-line).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Chakra-lakṣaṇa: Parameṣṭhin & Viṣṇu variants","lookup_keywords":["Parameṣṭhin cakra","sābja-cakra","pṛṣṭha-chidra","bindu","gadākṛti-rekhā"],"quick_summary":"Parameṣṭhin’s chakra bears a lotus-mark, a reverse-side perforation, and a central dot; Viṣṇu’s chakra is thick-rimmed, dark, and has a central mace-shaped line."}
Concept: Symbolic differentiation: subtle marks (bindu, padma, rekhā) encode deity-identity and function.
Application: Guides artisans and priests to render the correct emblem so the intended devatā-bhāva is ritually accessed.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Yantra/Lakshana of sacred diagrams and divine emblems)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two technical chakra diagrams: Parameṣṭhin’s with lotus emblem, a back-side hole indicated, and a central bindu; Viṣṇu’s thick dark disc with a central mace-shaped line.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural aesthetic with diagrammatic clarity, Parameṣṭhin chakra with lotus motif and bindu, subtle indication of reverse perforation, Viṣṇu chakra in dark tones with thick rim and central gadā-shaped line, palm-leaf manuscript feel","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold rim embossing on the chakras, lotus motif highlighted with gold, central bindu as gemstone dot, Viṣṇu chakra dark with gilded thick rim and stylized gadā-line in the center, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate, precise geometry, labeled bindu and rekhā, cross-section hint for pṛṣṭha-chidra, clean background and fine brush outlines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature manuscript folio, two circular emblems rendered with meticulous symmetry, lotus and bindu details, dark Viṣṇu disc with central gadā-line, calligraphic annotations and floral margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: साब्जचक्रः = स-अब्ज-चक्रः; पृष्ठच्छिद्रकः = पृष्ठ-च्छिद्रकः; स्थूलचक्रोऽसितो = स्थूल-चक्रः + असितः (अः + अ → ओऽ); विष्णुर्मध्ये = विष्णुः + मध्ये (visarga sandhi); गदाकृतिः = गदा-आकृतिः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Yantra-lakṣaṇa passages; Agni Purana: Ayudha-lakṣaṇa lists
FAQs
It gives iconographic diagnostics (lakṣaṇa) for identifying/depicting specific divine discuses—lotus-mark, reverse perforation, bindu (central dot), thickness, color, and an internal rekha shaped like a gadā—used in consecration, image-making, and worship.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical standards of sacred art and ritual technology—precise visual specifications for divine emblems—showing how the Agni Purana functions as a manual for temple practice, iconography, and applied religious arts.
Correctly recognizing and installing divine emblems is treated as safeguarding ritual correctness (śuddhi) and devotion (bhakti), helping ensure that worship is properly directed and thus considered more efficacious and meritorious.