Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 86
Adhivāsana-vidhi
Procedure for Preliminary Consecration in Vāstu–Pratiṣṭhā / Īśāna-kalpa
क्रमात्तदधिपान् पञ्च ब्रह्माणं धरणोधरं रुद्रमीशं सदाख्यञ्च सृष्टिन्यायेन मन्त्रवित्
kramāttadadhipān pañca brahmāṇaṃ dharaṇodharaṃ rudramīśaṃ sadākhyañca sṛṣṭinyāyena mantravit
Connaissant l’ordre de la création, l’adepte des mantras énumère successivement les cinq seigneurs présidents : Brahmā, Dharaṇīdhara, Rudra, Īśa et celui nommé Sadākhya.
Lord Agni (as narrator to Vasiṣṭha, in the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Map pañcabhūta to their adhipatis (presiding lords) in creation-order for correct invocation, nyāsa, and ritual sequencing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pañcādhipati-krama (Creation-order presiding lords)","lookup_keywords":["sṛṣṭi-krama","pañcādhipati","Brahmā","Rudra","Sadākhya"],"quick_summary":"The mantra-knower recites the five presiding lords in creation sequence, aligning ritual invocation with cosmogonic order."}
Concept: Sṛṣṭi-nyāya: correct knowledge of emanation order is itself a ritual competence (mantravit).
Application: Use the sequence to avoid ritual inversion (viparyaya) in nyāsa/āvāhana; supports coherent meditation on emergence from subtle to gross.
Khanda Section: Srishti-krama (Cosmogony and Creation-order)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vertical cosmological diagram: five tiers with enthroned presiding lords—Brahmā at one tier, Dharaṇīdhara as earth-supporting lord, Rudra, Īśa, and Sadākhya at the highest subtle tier—connected by emanation lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stacked cosmic registers, each register with a deity seated on lotus, labeled subtly, emanation lines, deep reds/ochres, sacred diagram aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, five-panel composition with gold halos, each presiding lord in a framed niche, ornate borders, luminous hierarchy from lower to higher","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic cosmology chart with soft colors, clear tier labels, deities rendered gently, emphasis on sequence and order","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly enthroned figures in five compartments, fine calligraphy captions, delicate clouds indicating higher subtle tiers, precise symmetry"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्रमात्तदधिपान् = क्रमात् + तदधिपान्; सदाख्यञ्च = सदा-आख्यम् + च; सृष्टिन्यायेन = सृष्टि-न्यायेन.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 96 (sṛṣṭi-krama and tattva-nyāsa cluster)
FAQs
It teaches a mantra-informed cosmological enumeration: the practitioner should know and recite/recognize the sequential hierarchy of five presiding deities according to sṛṣṭi-nyāya (creation-order).
By systematizing divine hierarchies and creation-order terminology (including Śaiva titles like Īśa and Sadākhya), it preserves a compact theological taxonomy alongside ritual/mantric competence—one of the Agni Purāṇa’s hallmark encyclopedic functions.
Correct knowledge of the creation-order and its presiding lords supports right orientation in mantra practice and contemplation, aligning the practitioner’s understanding with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) and thereby aiding purification and spiritual clarity.