Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 34
Chapter 93 — वास्तुपूजादिविधानम्
Procedure for Vāstu-worship and Related Rites
यथा देवालये न्यसस् तथा शतपदे हितः ग्रहाः स्कन्दादयस्तत्र विज्ञेयाश् चैव षट्पदाः
yathā devālaye nyasas tathā śatapade hitaḥ grahāḥ skandādayastatra vijñeyāś caiva ṣaṭpadāḥ
De même que les placements rituels (nyāsa) s’accomplissent dans un temple, de même doivent-ils être disposés correctement sur le lotus rituel «aux cent pétales». Là, l’on doit installer les Grahas (divinités planétaires) ; et Skanda et les autres doivent pareillement être compris comme occupant le lotus «à six pétales».
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Ritual layout of lotus/mandala for mantra-nyasa and devata-sthapana in puja, mapping deities to specific petal-grids (shatapada and shatpada).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nyāsa on Śatapatra and Ṣaṭpatra Padma (Graha & Skanda placement)","lookup_keywords":["nyasa","shatapada padma","shatpada lotus","graha-sthapana","skanda placement"],"quick_summary":"Perform nyāsa on the ritual lotus exactly as in a temple-installation scheme. Install the Grahas on the hundred-petalled lotus, and place Skanda and related deities on the six-petalled lotus."}
Concept: Microcosm–macrocosm mapping: temple-space principles replicated on the padma/maṇḍala through nyāsa and devatā-adhyāsa.
Application: Use consistent spatial theology: the same devatā-locations used in temple rites are mirrored on the ritual lotus for effective mantra-siddhi and orderly worship.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Temple ritual, Nyasa, and Mandala/Padma placement)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual altar with a large lotus-maṇḍala: a hundred-petalled lotus labeled with planetary deities, and a separate six-petalled lotus marked for Skanda and companions; a priest performs nyāsa with hand gestures and mantra recitation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vibrant colors, priest in traditional attire before a stylized padma-maṇḍala; Navagrahas placed on a hundred-petalled lotus ring, Skanda on a six-petalled lotus; sacred lamps, minimal depth, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights: central ritual lotus diagram, gold-outlined petals; small iconic Navagraha figures seated on petals; Skanda with spear (vel) on six-petalled lotus; rich reds and greens, temple lamp glow.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework and soft shading: instructional depiction of padma-nyāsa layout with labeled petals; priest’s hands in nyāsa mudrā; subtle gold accents, clean geometry.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, fine detail and architectural setting: a scholar-priest demonstrating lotus-maṇḍala placement on a cloth diagram; tiny planetary deities inscribed on petals; Skanda group on a smaller lotus; patterned floor, precise calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional-devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nyasas → nyāsaḥ (visarga restoration); skandādayas → skanda-ādayaḥ; vijñeyāś caiva → vijñeyāḥ ca eva; ṣaṭpadāḥ unchanged.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 93 (nyāsa/maṇḍala context); Agni Purana sections on graha-pūjā and devatā-nyāsa (elsewhere in ritual chapters)
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa-vinyāsa: how to place/assign specific deity groups onto specific lotus-diagrams—Grahas on the hundred-petalled lotus and Skanda’s group on the six-petalled lotus—mirroring temple-style installations.
It integrates temple liturgy, mandala/lotus-diagram geometry, and Jyotiṣa-linked deities (Grahas) into a single operational instruction—showing the text’s coverage of ritual technology alongside cosmological/astrological frameworks.
Correct nyāsa and deity-placement are treated as ensuring ritual purity, proper invocation, and alignment with cosmic forces (Grahas), thereby increasing the efficacy (siddhi) and merit (puṇya) of worship.