Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 40
Chapter 61 — द्वारप्रतिष्ठाध्वजारोहाणादिविधिः
Gateway Installation, Flag Hoisting, and Allied Rites
नाभ्यब्जप्रतिनेमीषु न्यसेत्तत्त्वानि देशिकः नृसिंहं विश्वरूपं वा अब्जमध्ये निवेशयेत्
nābhyabjapratinemīṣu nyasettattvāni deśikaḥ nṛsiṃhaṃ viśvarūpaṃ vā abjamadhye niveśayet
L’officiant, le maître (deśika), doit installer par nyāsa les principes (tattva) sur le nombril du lotus, sur ses pétales et sur son anneau périphérique ; et au centre du lotus il doit établir soit Narasiṁha, soit la forme universelle (Viśvarūpa).
Lord Agni (in dialogue to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Tattva-nyāsa on a lotus-mandala (nābhi, petals, rim) and central installation of Narasiṃha or Viśvarūpa for Vaiṣṇava protective and cosmic worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Lotus-mandala Tattva-nyāsa and Central Narasiṃha/Viśvarūpa Installation","lookup_keywords":["nābhyabja","tattva-nyāsa","padma-vidhi","narasiṃha","viśvarūpa"],"quick_summary":"Place tattvas on the lotus’s structural zones (navel, petals, rim) to map cosmology onto the mandala, then enthrone Narasiṃha or Viśvarūpa at the center as the presiding form."}
Concept: Microcosm–macrocosm correspondence: tattvas distributed across mandala parts, with the central devatā as the integrating principle.
Application: Use spatial nyāsa to stabilize layered contemplation (tattva → devatā), aiding both protection (Narasiṃha) and universal vision (Viśvarūpa).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa & Mandala/Padma-vidhi; Vaishnava-Mantra-Tantra)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A large lotus diagram is laid out; the teacher installs tattvas on the navel, petals, and rim, then places Narasiṃha or Viśvarūpa as a radiant central presence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, oversized lotus mandala with clear petals and rim, central Narasiṃha (lion-faced) or Viśvarūpa with multiple forms suggested, priest-teacher (deśika) performing nyāsa, bold reds/ochres, stylized flames of aura.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central enthroned Narasiṃha/Viśvarūpa on lotus with gold halo, petals ringed with small tattva symbols, heavy gold embossing, temple lamps and conch-disc motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional mandala: lotus labeled nābhi/dala/nemi, teacher pointing, central deity icon neatly rendered, soft palette, fine ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, geometric lotus carpet with inscriptions, central divine figure luminous, attendants holding ritual vessels, delicate shading and architectural frame."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाभ्यब्जप्रतिनेमीषु = नाभि + अब्ज + प्रतिनेमीषु; nyasettattvāni = न्यसेत् + तत्त्वानि (sandhi: t+t); अब्जमध्ये = अब्ज + मध्ये.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 61 (padma-vidhi, nyāsa sequences); Agni Purana avatāra materials relevant to Narasiṃha and Viśvarūpa themes (elsewhere in the text)
FAQs
It teaches padma-maṇḍala nyāsa: assigning tattvas onto specific lotus-parts (navel/petals/rim) and installing a chosen central deity-form (Narasiṁha or Viśvarūpa) in the lotus center.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s detailed ritual-technology—mapping metaphysical categories (tattvas) onto a worship-diagram and prescribing precise deity-installation—alongside its many other domains (law, polity, medicine, arts).
By ritually placing tattvas and establishing the deity at the lotus-center, the practitioner sacralizes the body/mind-cosmos mapping, aiming at purification, focused devotion, and alignment of the worshipper’s inner order with the divine presence.