Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 14
Chapter 49 — मत्स्यादिलक्षणवर्णनम्
Description of the Characteristics of Matsya and the Other Incarnations
चतुर्मुखश् चतुर्बाहुर्वृहज्जठरमण्डलः लम्बकूर्चो जटायुक्तो व्रह्मा हंसाग्रवाहनः
caturmukhaś caturbāhurvṛhajjaṭharamaṇḍalaḥ lambakūrco jaṭāyukto vrahmā haṃsāgravāhanaḥ
Brahmā a quatre visages et quatre bras, avec un ventre large et arrondi; il porte de longues mèches pendantes et est orné de jata, la chevelure emmêlée. Sa monture éminente est le haṃsa (cygne/oie).
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Iconographic specification for Brahma images (faces, arms, hair, vehicle) for temple installation and dhyana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Brahma-murti lakshana (four-faced, four-armed, hamsa-vahana)","lookup_keywords":["Brahma chaturmukha","chaturbhuja Brahma","hamsa vahana","jata","murti lakshana"],"quick_summary":"Brahma is defined by four faces and four arms, a broad rounded belly, distinctive hair (long tufts/matted locks), and the haṃsa as his foremost mount—key identifiers for correct depiction."}
Concept: Recognition of the creator principle (Brahma-tattva) through prescribed form for worship and remembrance.
Application: Employ the lakshanas to avoid iconographic confusion (e.g., with rishis or other deities) and to maintain ritual correctness.
Khanda Section: Devata-Dhyana & Murti-Lakshana (Iconography / Dhyana-śloka series)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahma seated or standing with four faces and four arms, rounded belly, matted locks/tufts, accompanied by a hamsa (swan/goose) as his mount, set in a ritualized iconographic frame.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Brahma chaturmukha-chaturbhuja with stylized jatā, warm ochres and reds, hamsa at the base, ornate prabhavali, temple-wall symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Brahma with four faces, gold-embossed halo and jewelry, hamsa vahana rendered with white highlights, rich textile patterns, devotional frontal composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean iconographic clarity: four faces shown in slight rotation, four arms posed symmetrically, detailed hair tufts/jatā, hamsa at pedestal, minimal background for instructional use.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, Brahma depicted in a celestial pavilion with a hamsa nearby, delicate facial rendering for four heads, fine textiles, ornate border and calligraphic cartouche."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: caturmukhaś caturbāhur → catur-mukhaḥ catur-bāhuḥ; vṛhajjaṭharamaṇḍalaḥ → vṛhat-jaṭhara-maṇḍalaḥ; jaṭāyukto → jaṭā-yuktaḥ; haṃsāgravāhanaḥ → haṃsa-agra-vāhanaḥ (compound segmentation).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 49 (dhyana-śloka series for deities)
FAQs
It gives a dhyāna-lakṣaṇa (visualization specification) for Brahmā—key iconographic markers (four faces, four arms, jaṭā, haṃsa-vāhana) used in pūjā, mantra-japa meditation, and image/yantra contemplation.
Beyond mythology, it functions as a practical manual for worship and iconography (murti-lakṣaṇa), showing how the Agni Purāṇa catalogs applied religious arts—deity forms, vehicles, and meditation templates—alongside many other sciences and disciplines.
Correct dhyāna of the deity’s form is traditionally held to steady the mind, reduce ritual error, and increase the merit (puṇya) and efficacy (siddhi) of worship by aligning attention with the intended divine archetype.