Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 41
Liṅga-māna-ādi-kathana
Measurements and Related Particulars of the Liṅga
चतुस्त्रिरेकवदनं मुखलिङ्गमतः शृणु पूजाभागं प्रकर्तव्यं मूर्त्यग्निपदकल्पितं
catustrirekavadanaṃ mukhaliṅgamataḥ śṛṇu pūjābhāgaṃ prakartavyaṃ mūrtyagnipadakalpitaṃ
Écoute l’enseignement des marques faciales (mukha-liṅga) : l’icône d’Agni est décrite comme ayant quatre visages, trois, ou même un seul. La « part rituelle » (portion du culte et des offrandes) doit être attribuée selon le rang et la forme d’Agni incarné (mūrti‑Agni).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Designing Agni icons with correct number of faces and allocating worship portions/offerings according to the specific Agni-mūrti rank used in a rite.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agni-mūrti mukha-bheda and pūjā-bhāga allocation","lookup_keywords":["Agni-mūrti","catur-vadana","mukha-liṅga","pūjā-bhāga","mūrti-agni"],"quick_summary":"States that Agni icons may be four-, three-, or one-faced and that the distribution of worship portions should be assigned in accordance with the particular embodied Agni form."}
Concept: Right measure and right distribution (bhāga) sustain ritual order; form and offering must correspond.
Application: Priests calibrate offerings (havis, upacāras) and artisans choose icon type to match the intended rite (śrauta/smārta/temple pūjā contexts).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Murti-lakshana and worship allocations for Agni forms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three Agni icons displayed side-by-side: one-faced, three-faced, and four-faced; a priest marks different offering portions on a ritual tray corresponding to each form.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, vivid Agni with multiple faces and flames; priest performing pūjā with labeled offering portions; temple interior motifs and lamp-lit ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central four-faced Agni with gold flame aureole; inset panels of three- and one-faced forms; gold-highlighted offering vessels arranged by ‘bhāga’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition: front-view icon diagrams with face counts; a chart showing pūjā-bhāga distribution; fine linework and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritual pavilion scene with a learned priest explaining to attendants; illustrated folio shows Agni forms and offering allocations; detailed textiles and utensils."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Agni (rāga conceptually apt)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चतुस्त्रिरेकवदनं = चतुस् + त्रि + एक + वदनम्; मुखलिङ्गम् = मुख + लिङ्गम्; मूर्त्यग्निपदकल्पितं = मूर्ति + अग्नि + पद + कल्पितम् (य्-आगमः: मूर्ति + अग्नि → मूर्त्यग्नि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 54 (Agni-mūrti lakṣaṇa and pūjā allocations continuing)
FAQs
It teaches iconographic options for Agni (one-, three-, or four-faced forms) and instructs that the distribution of worship portions/offerings (pūjā-bhāga) must follow a graded prescription based on the specific mūrti-form and its ritual rank (pada).
It shows the text functioning like a ritual manual: it combines murti-lakshana (iconographic specification) with procedural worship rules (allocation of honors/offerings), demonstrating the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical temple-ritual governance alongside theology.
Correctly matching offerings and honors to the prescribed form and rank of the deity is presented as a way to maintain ritual order (dharma) and ensure the intended purity and merit (puṇya) of the worship, avoiding ritual mismatch (doṣa).