Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 5
Chapter 47 — शालग्रामादिपूजाकथनं
Teaching the Worship of Śālagrāma and Related Sacred Forms
कृतमुद्रात्रयश् चक्राद् वहिः पूवे गुरुं यजेत् आप्ये गणं वायवे च धातारं नैरृते यजेत्
kṛtamudrātrayaś cakrād vahiḥ pūve guruṃ yajet āpye gaṇaṃ vāyave ca dhātāraṃ nairṛte yajet
Après avoir accompli les trois mudrā, on doit vénérer—à l’extérieur du chakra (maṇḍala)—le Guru au quartier de l’Est; Gaṇa au quartier des eaux (Ouest); Dhātṛ au quartier de Vāyu (Nord‑Ouest); et de nouveau Dhātṛ au quartier Nairṛta (Sud‑Ouest).
Lord Agni (instructional narration to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Directional worship (dik-krama) around the chakra/maṇḍala after performing three mudrās; assigns specific deities to quarters for protective enclosure and orderly pūjā sequencing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Mudrā-traya and Bāhya-dikpūjā: Guru, Gaṇa, Dhātṛ placements","lookup_keywords":["mudrā-traya","dikpūjā","guru pūjā east","gaṇa west","dhātṛ northwest"],"quick_summary":"After three mudrās, worship deities outside the chakra by quarters—Guru in the east, Gaṇa in the watery/western quarter, and Dhātṛ in the Vāyu (north-west) and Nairṛta (south-west) quarters—forming a protective ritual perimeter."}
Concept: Ritual space is structured by directions; mudrā and dikpūjā align body, mantra, and cosmos.
Application: In pūjā, maintain consistent quarter-assignments and perform mudrās before invoking outer deities to stabilize the āvaraṇa (protective enclosure).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tantric/Mantra ritual directions and Mandala-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A central chakra/maṇḍala with an outer ring where the priest offers to deities stationed at specific quarters: Guru east, Gaṇa west, Dhātṛ northwest and southwest; hands shown in three mudrās first.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular chakra at center, outer directional deities labeled by placement, priest performing three mudrās in sequence, bold directional markers (east/west/nw/sw)","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold borders for the chakra and outer āvaraṇa, small iconic figures of Guru, Gaṇa, Dhātṛ placed at quarters, lamps and offerings gleaming","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic clarity: compass-like layout around the chakra, priest shown at center-right performing mudrās, neat inscriptions for quarters","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down courtyard view with a mandala cloth, attendants placing offerings at east/west/nw/sw points, fine detailing of ritual objects"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कृतमुद्रात्रयः = कृत + मुद्रा + त्रयः; (IAST vahiḥ) = बहिः; पूवे read as पूर्वे (common orthographic/edition variant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 47 (mudrā, maṇḍala-nyāsa, āvaraṇa-devatā sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a mandala/chakra worship sequence: after executing a triad of mudrās, the practitioner performs directional (dik) worship of specified deities—placing the Guru in the east and other deities in designated quarters outside the chakra.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s practical ritual manual aspect—preserving precise, step-by-step tantric/puja protocols (mudrā usage, mandala boundaries, and directional deity placement) alongside its many other domains.
Correctly performing mudrās and directional worship is presented as ensuring ritual completeness and efficacy—aligning the worshipper with sacred space (dik) order and strengthening the merit (puṇya) and intended siddhi of the rite.