Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
अध्याय ५१: सूर्यादिप्रतिमालक्षणम्
Characteristics of the Images of Sūrya and Others
वामे तु पिङ्गलो द्वारि दण्डभृत् स रवेर्गणः शिवाच्युतेति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः वज्रदृष्टय इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः महारथ्यो रूपिण्यो ऽप्सरस इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः विस्फोटकरुणर्दन इति ग, ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः बालव्यजनधारिण्यौ पार्श्वे राज्ञी च निष्प्रभा
vāme tu piṅgalo dvāri daṇḍabhṛt sa ravergaṇaḥ śivācyuteti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ vajradṛṣṭaya iti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ mahārathyo rūpiṇyo 'psarasa iti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ visphoṭakaruṇardana iti ga, ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ bālavyajanadhāriṇyau pārśve rājñī ca niṣprabhā
À gauche, à l’entrée, se tient Piṅgala, portant un bâton ; il est un serviteur de Ravi (le Soleil). Sur les côtés se trouvent deux jeunes assistants tenant des éventails ; et la reine (consort) est décrite comme dépourvue d’éclat (sans radiance).
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing a sage, commonly Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Guides attendant placement (dvāra-pāla/gaṇa) and subsidiary figures in Sūrya iconography: Piṅgala at the left doorway with staff, two fan-bearing attendants at the sides, and the queen/consort depicted as ‘niṣprabhā’—useful for temple layout and narrative completeness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sūrya-parivāra vinyāsa: Piṅgala at doorway and fan-bearers","lookup_keywords":["Piṅgala","dvāra","daṇḍabhṛt","cāmara-dhāriṇī","Sūrya-parivāra"],"quick_summary":"Specifies the parivāra arrangement around Sūrya: Piṅgala as a staff-bearing attendant at the left doorway, two youthful fan-bearers at the sides, and a lusterless queen figure—supporting correct placement in shrine programs."}
Concept: Parivāra-vinyāsa expresses hierarchy and function: guardians at thresholds, service attendants at flanks, and differentiated consort depiction to preserve iconographic identity.
Application: Temple designers and artists use this to arrange subsidiary figures consistently across panels, niches, and doorway programs.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devata-dhyana and Dvara-pala-vinyasa (iconography and placement of attendants)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a temple doorway near Sūrya’s shrine: Piṅgala stands on the left holding a staff as a solar attendant; two youthful attendants flank the main icon holding fans; a queen/consort figure appears with subdued radiance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: doorway scene with Piṅgala at left holding daṇḍa, two cāmara-bearing youths at the sides of Sūrya’s icon, consort shown with muted glow, architectural doorway framing in traditional borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: shrine composition with gold accents on doorway and fans, Piṅgala as staff-bearing guardian at left, symmetrical fan-bearers, consort rendered with softer halo to indicate niṣprabhā","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional layout: plan-like frontal elevation showing exact placements—Piṅgala at left jamb, two fan-bearers flanking, consort position marked; clean lines and labels","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly shrine doorway with attendant figures, Piṅgala as doorkeeper with staff, fan-bearers in delicate textiles, consort subtly less luminous, refined architectural detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रवेर्गणः→रवेः + गणः. The middle portion contains manuscript variant notes (śivācyuta, vajradṛṣṭaya, mahārathyaḥ, rūpiṇyaḥ, apsarasaḥ, visphoṭakaruṇardana) and is treated as editorial apparatus, not part of the core verse syntax.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 51 (Sūryādi-pratimā-lakṣaṇa parivāra details)
FAQs
It gives dhyāna/arcana iconography: the prescribed placement and identifying features of the Sun’s attendants—Piṅgala as a staff-bearing doorkeeper on the left, with two fan-bearers at the sides.
Beyond narrative, it preserves practical temple-ritual and visualization details (attendant names, positions, attributes), functioning like a manual for worship, iconography, and installation-oriented description.
Correct visualization and placement in dhyāna/pujā is held to stabilize concentration and align worship with śāstric form, supporting merit (puṇya) through accurate, disciplined devotion.