Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 4
Chapter 53 — Liṅga-lakṣaṇa
Characteristics and Proportions of the Śiva-liṅga and Piṇḍikā
अष्टाग्रं वैष्णवं भागं सिध्यत्येव न संशयः षोडशास्रं ततः कुर्याद्द्वात्रिंशास्रं ततः पुनः
aṣṭāgraṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ bhāgaṃ sidhyatyeva na saṃśayaḥ ṣoḍaśāsraṃ tataḥ kuryāddvātriṃśāsraṃ tataḥ punaḥ
La division vaiṣṇava (diagramme/forme) à huit pointes est assurément accomplie — sans aucun doute. Ensuite, on doit former une figure à seize angles, puis de nouveau une figure à trente-deux angles.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Stepwise construction of increasingly complex polygonal yantras/maṇḍalas (8-, 16-, 32-angled) used for Vaiṣṇava diagramming, altar design, and proportional schemata in ritual and iconographic planning.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vaiṣṇava yantra/maṇḍala progression: aṣṭāgra → ṣoḍaśāsra → dvātriṃśāsra","lookup_keywords":["aṣṭāgra","ṣoḍaśāsra","dvātriṃśāsra","Vaiṣṇava","yantra-lakṣaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Begin with an eight-point Vaiṣṇava form, then expand the construction to sixteen-angled and thirty-two-angled figures—an ordered method for refining sacred geometry."}
Concept: Incremental complexity (vṛddhi-krama) in sacred geometry mirrors graded manifestation—order emerging through precise construction.
Application: Use the 8→16→32 progression to draft yantras, lotus/cakra bases, or decorative/structural layouts with consistent symmetry.
Khanda Section: Vastu-vidya / Yantra-Lakshana (Geometric construction for ritual diagrams and iconographic proportions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A draftsman constructs an eight-point figure, then overlays a sixteen-angled polygon, then a thirty-two-angled polygon, showing progressive refinement of a Vaiṣṇava sacred diagram.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sacred geometry board with layered polygons (8/16/32), priest-artist drawing with stylus, subtle Viṣṇu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) in margins, lamp-lit temple setting","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central layered polygonal yantra with gold-highlighted edges, Viṣṇu seated above as presiding deity, ornate border and embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style technical illustration: three panels showing 8-point, 16-angled, 32-angled constructions step-by-step, fine lines, minimal background, clear didactic composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, geometry lesson scene with instruments (compass, straightedge), artisan drawing successive polygons on paper, courtly workshop ambience, meticulous line detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sidhyatyeva → sidhyati eva; ṣoḍaśāsraṃ → ṣoḍaśa-asram; dvātriṃśāsraṃ → dvātriṃśa-asram; kuryāddvātriṃśāsraṃ → kuryāt dvātriṃśa-asram.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa ch. 53: preceding Vardhamāna square marking (v. 53.3) as a base form for further polygonal elaboration; Agni Purāṇa: other yantra/maṇḍala and prāsāda measurement passages (elsewhere)
FAQs
It teaches a stepwise geometric procedure used in Vaiṣṇava ritual design: beginning with an eight-pointed layout and progressing to more complex sixteen- and thirty-two-angled figures for precise yantra/mandala construction.
Beyond theology, it preserves applied technical knowledge—sacred geometry and diagrammatic standards used in worship and temple/ritual layouts—showing the text’s coverage of practical arts (vidyās) alongside devotional doctrine.
Accurate construction of prescribed Vaiṣṇava forms is presented as ensuring the rite “succeeds” (sidhyati), implying correctness of form supports efficacy, purity, and the intended devotional merit of the worship.