Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 12
Chapter 65 — सभास्थापनकथनं
Account of Establishing an Assembly-hall
चतुःशालं सदा शस्तं सर्वदोषविवर्जितं एकभौमादि कुर्वीत भवनं सप्तभौमकं
catuḥśālaṃ sadā śastaṃ sarvadoṣavivarjitaṃ ekabhaumādi kurvīta bhavanaṃ saptabhaumakaṃ
La maison catuḥśāla (à quatre ailes autour de la cour) est toujours recommandée, car elle est exempte de tout défaut. On doit bâtir une demeure en commençant par un seul étage et en pouvant aller jusqu’à sept étages.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Prefer catuḥśāla (four-wing courtyard) plans to minimize defects; plan vertical expansion from one to seven storeys according to capacity and rules.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Catuḥśāla excellence and permissible storey range","lookup_keywords":["catuḥśāla","sarva-doṣa-vivarjita","ekabhūma","saptabhūmaka","storeys"],"quick_summary":"A catuḥśāla residence is praised as defect-free; houses may be built from one up to seven storeys, implying regulated vertical planning."}
Concept: Completeness and symmetry (four-sided enclosure) reduce doṣa; growth should be staged and rule-bound.
Application: Adopt courtyard-centric planning and phase construction storey-by-storey, ensuring structural and vāstu compliance at each level.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra (Architecture and House-Planning)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symmetrical four-wing courtyard house (catuḥśāla) shown in plan and a vertical cutaway showing 1 to 7 storeys as stacked levels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style depiction of an ideal catuḥśāla courtyard home, birds-eye plan blended with narrative artisans, seven-tier elevation ghosted behind, Sanskrit labels for bhūmis","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold highlights on the central courtyard and four surrounding wings, ornate border, a stepped seven-storey silhouette in the background, auspicious motifs","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style architectural plate: precise catuḥśāla floor plan with proportional grid, plus elevation diagram marking ekabhūma to saptabhūma, clean annotations","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a noble commissioning a courtyard mansion, architect presenting a plan and a seven-storey elevation scroll, detailed courtyard garden at center"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: catuḥśālaṃ → catuḥ-śālam; sarvadoṣavivarjitaṃ → sarva-doṣa-vivarjitam; ekabhaumādi → eka-bhauma-ādi; saptabhaumakaṃ → sapta-bhaumakam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 65 (gṛha-bheda and doṣa); Agni Purana vāstu sections on measurements/āyādi (recensional)
FAQs
It teaches Vāstu-vidyā: the recommended residential layout (catuḥśāla—four-winged courtyard house) and the permissible range of storeys for a dwelling (from one up to seven).
By prescribing concrete architectural norms—house typology and vertical planning—it shows the Agni Purāṇa functioning as a practical manual alongside its religious narratives, covering applied sciences like Vāstu-śāstra.
Choosing a layout described as “free from defects” is presented as aligning the home with auspicious order (śubha-vāstu), reducing inauspicious influences and supporting household well-being and dharmic living.