Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 19
Chapter 56 — दिक्पालयागकथनम्
Account of the Worship of the Guardians of the Directions
आगच्छाग्रे शक्तियुत च्छागस्थ बलसंयुत रक्षाग्नेयीं दिशं देवैः पूजां गृह नमोस्तु ते
āgacchāgre śaktiyuta cchāgastha balasaṃyuta rakṣāgneyīṃ diśaṃ devaiḥ pūjāṃ gṛha namostu te
Viens au-devant—pourvu de puissance, monté sur un bouc, doté de force. Protège, avec les dieux, la direction du sud-est (Agni) ; reçois cette offrande de culte. Hommage à toi.
Lord Agni (narrating ritual procedure to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional voice)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Agneya-dik rakṣā and dikpāla invocation: calling the south-east guardian with identifying vāhana (goat) and śakti (power), then offering worship for directional protection.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Agneya-dikpāla āvāhana and protection (goat-mounted)","lookup_keywords":["Agneya dik","dikpāla āvāhana","chāga vāhana","rakṣā mantra","south-east protection"],"quick_summary":"Invoke the guardian of the south-east (Agneya) with power and goat-mount imagery; request protection of that direction and offer worship with homage."}
Concept: Ritual space is ‘sealed’ by directional guardians; each direction is approached through its specific devatā-lakṣaṇa (vāhana/śakti).
Application: During homa, explicitly propitiate the Agneya quarter to harmonize fire operations and protective boundaries.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dikpala/Devata-invocation and directional protection in fire-rituals)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Direction (Dik)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The priest faces the south-east corner of the altar, invoking the Agneya guardian depicted with a goat mount and fiery aura, asking protection and offering worship.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, fiery Agneya presence with goat vāhana, flame motifs around the south-east corner of a square altar, priest offering flowers, bold reds and ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold flame halos, goat mount ornamented, priest at the Agneya corner with offering plate, rich gold accents on altar borders and vessels","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional layout: altar with highlighted south-east corner, small icon of goat-mounted guardian, priest chanting ‘rakṣāgneyaṃ diśam’, precise linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritual pavilion with a brazier glowing in the south-east, goat-mounted guardian appearing in a cloud of fire, attendants holding offerings, intricate textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Deshkar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आगच्छाग्रे→आगच्छ + अग्रे; च्छागस्थ→छागस्थ (च्-आगमः sandhi/orthography); नमोस्तु→नमः + अस्तु।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 56 (dikpāla mantras for successive directions)
FAQs
It gives an avāhana (invocation) and dik-rakṣā instruction: the invoked deity—identified by the goat-mount and power—should be called to the front and requested to protect the Agneya (south-east) direction while accepting worship.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana functions as a practical ritual handbook; this verse exemplifies its procedural coverage of puja mechanics—directional safeguarding, deity-invocation formulas, and liturgical phrasing used in rites.
Performing directional protection and proper invocation is held to remove obstacles, stabilize the ritual space, and ensure the rite is completed without interference, thereby increasing the merit (puṇya) and efficacy of worship.
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