Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 14
Chapter 94 — शिलाविन्यासविधानम्
The Procedure for Laying the Foundation Stones
उ चेति ग ब्रह्माणं चोपविन्यस्येति ख , घ , ङ , छ , च विघ्नदोषनिवारकमिति ग पूर्वशिलान्यास इति घ मध्याभावे इति ख , ग च महाभागे इति ग देहि मामिति ख , छ च देहि न इति घ अस्मिन् रक्षा सदा कार्या प्रासादे यत्नतस्त्वया ॐ भद्रे त्वं सर्वदा भद्रं लोकानां कुरु काश्यपि
u ceti ga brahmāṇaṃ copavinyasyeti kha , gha , ṅa , cha , ca vighnadoṣanivārakamiti ga pūrvaśilānyāsa iti gha madhyābhāve iti kha , ga ca mahābhāge iti ga dehi māmiti kha , cha ca dehi na iti gha asmin rakṣā sadā kāryā prāsāde yatnatastvayā oṃ bhadre tvaṃ sarvadā bhadraṃ lokānāṃ kuru kāśyapi
Dans ce temple, la protection doit être accomplie sans cesse par toi, avec un soin vigilant. Ô Bhadrā, toi qui es toujours de bon augure, rends les mondes auspiceux, ô Kāśyapī. (Les groupes précédents sont des notes de variantes manuscrites liées au rite, notamment au nyāsa et à l’élimination des obstacles et des défauts.)
Lord Agni (in Agni Purana’s standard frame, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Protective rite (rakṣā) for a prāsāda during/after pratiṣṭhā, including obstacle-removal intent (vighna-doṣa-nivāraṇa) and guardian invocation (Bhadrā/Kāśyapī).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prāsāda-Rakṣā: Bhadrā/Kāśyapī Protective Invocation (with variant nyāsa notes)","lookup_keywords":["prāsāda-rakṣā","Bhadrā","Kāśyapī","vighna-doṣa-nivāraṇa","śilā-nyāsa"],"quick_summary":"Mandates continual protection for the temple and invokes Bhadrā as ever-auspicious; manuscript notes point to associated nyāsa/śilā-nyāsa and obstacle-removal phrasing used in the rite."}
Concept: Nirvighnatā (freedom from obstacles/defects) as a dhārmic requirement for sacred architecture and communal worship.
Application: Perform periodic rakṣā (protective recitations/offerings) for the prāsāda, especially at installation milestones and festivals.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-Śāstra / Prāsāda-pratiṣṭhā (Temple architecture, installation, and protective rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A temple foundation/installation scene: priest and sthapati at the prāsāda, performing protective rites; Bhadrā invoked as an auspicious guardian presence around the structure.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, prāsāda under consecration, Bhadrā as protective Devi at the threshold, ritual fire and kalasha, stylized architecture, bold outlines, sacred geometry motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, temple installation with gold-highlighted prāsāda and Devi Bhadrā blessing, priests with lamps and conch, embossed ornaments, auspicious yantra-like border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional depiction of śilā-nyāsa and rakṣā: sthapati measuring, priest chanting, labeled ritual implements, soft colors and precise lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed architectural rendering of a temple courtyard, artisans and priests, protective invocation scene, fine patterns on garments, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: च + उपविन्यस्य → चोपविन्यस्य. देहि + माम् + इति → देहि मामिति. देहि + नः/न + इति → देहि न इति (पाठभेद). Verse contains editorial markers (ग, ख, घ, ङ, छ, च) treated as non-Sanskrit sigla and excluded from pada list.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 94 (prāsāda-pratiṣṭhā and rakṣā-mantra cluster)
FAQs
It prescribes prāsāda-rakṣā—continuous protective rites for a temple—invoking Bhadrā/Kāśyapī to ensure auspiciousness and to avert harm, consistent with Vāstu-pratiṣṭhā practice.
Beyond mythology, it records applied temple-technology: protection protocols, mantra-invocation, and hints of nyāsa/defect-removal procedures, showing the Purana’s coverage of architecture, ritual engineering, and liturgical details.
Maintaining rakṣā for the shrine is framed as sustaining auspiciousness (bhadra) for the wider world; it supports purity, prevents ritual/structural inauspiciousness, and preserves the merit (puṇya) of worship performed there.