Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 8

Chapter 92 — प्रतिष्ठाविधिकथनम्

Narration of the Consecration / Installation Procedure

Devanagari script

पूर्वेशोत्तरसर्वत्र पूर्वा चैषां विशिष्यते आखाते हास्तिके यस्याः पूर्णे मृदधिका भवेत्

Transliteration

pūrveśottarasarvatra pūrvā caiṣāṃ viśiṣyate ākhāte hāstike yasyāḥ pūrṇe mṛdadhikā bhavet

Translation

Concernant les directions est, nord-est et nord, parmi elles le côté oriental est tenu pour le plus important. Lorsqu’on creuse une fosse d’un hasta (une coudée) et qu’après l’avoir rebouchée la terre se trouve en quantité plus grande (surplus), ce site est réputé excellent.

Word by Word

• pūrva-īśa-uttara-sarvatra: everywhere in the east, northeast, and north
• pūrva-īśa-uttara-sarvatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverbial compound (अव्ययीभावसमास); sarvatra = adverb ‘everywhere’

• pūrvā: the eastern (one/direction)
• pūrvā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used as adjective/subject-predicate

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• eṣām: of these
• eṣām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक: एतद्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• viśiṣyate: is distinguished/excels
• viśiṣyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-śiṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• ākhāte: in the dug (pit)
• ākhāte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-khāta (कृदन्त; √khan/खन्)
• Form: Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle sense ‘dug/excavated’; used adjectivally

• hāstike: in the elephant(-measure) (pit)
• hāstike: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāstika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); adjective ‘of an elephant/elephant-measure’ (contextual)

• yasyāḥ: of which/whose
• yasyāḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūrṇe: when filled / in the filled (pit)
• pūrṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); adjective ‘when filled/in the filled (state)’

• mṛt-adhikā: having more earth (excess soil)
• mṛt-adhikā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक) + adhikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: mṛdaḥ adhikā = ‘more (in) earth’

• bhavet: should be/become
• bhavet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: pūrveśottarasarvatra = pūrva + īśa + uttara + sarvatra (compound); caiṣām = ca + eṣām; ākhāte hāstike taken as two locatives qualifying the locus; mṛdadhikā = mṛt + adhikā (tatpuruṣa).

Characters & Entities

• Īśāna (north-east direction)
• Pūrva (east direction)
• Uttara (north direction)
• Hasta (cubit measure)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches a Vāstu soil-and-site test: dig a one-hasta pit and judge the site by whether the refilled soil shows a surplus, with special emphasis on the eastern (and related) directions.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

It shows the text’s practical, technical coverage beyond mythology—preserving applied Vāstu-śāstra procedures (directional hierarchy and empirical soil testing) used for construction and sacred architecture.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Choosing an auspicious, directionally favored site is treated as supporting purity, stability, and prosperity of a dwelling or temple, thereby aligning human activity with dharmic order and beneficial results.