Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51
Mahāviṣṇu-Mantras: Aṣṭākṣarī, Sudarśana-Astra, Nyāsa Systems, Āvaraṇa-Pūjā, and Prayogas
लोकेशा नायुधैर्युक्तान्बहिः संपूजयेत्सुधीः । एवमावरणैर्युक्तं योऽर्चजयेद्विष्णुमव्ययम् ॥ ५१ ॥
lokeśā nāyudhairyuktānbahiḥ saṃpūjayetsudhīḥ | evamāvaraṇairyuktaṃ yo'rcajayedviṣṇumavyayam || 51 ||
Le sage doit, à l’extérieur (du sanctuaire principal), honorer comme il se doit les Seigneurs des mondes, sans les représenter armés. Ainsi, quiconque adore l’impérissable Viṣṇu avec ces enceintes d’entourage (āvaraṇas) accomplit un culte plein et conforme.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It emphasizes completeness and purity in worship: Viṣṇu’s pūjā is perfected when the attendant āvaraṇas and guardian deities are honored in their proper place and form, supporting a harmonious, non-aggressive sacred atmosphere.
Bhakti here is not only inner feeling but also disciplined reverence—worshipping Viṣṇu along with the prescribed attendants (āvaraṇas) expresses attentive, ordered devotion (sevā) that treats the deity’s sacred “cosmic court” with respect.
Ritual protocol and iconographic restraint: placing subsidiary deities outside the main sanctum and specifying their non-weaponized depiction reflects applied kalpa-style procedural knowledge used to structure a correct pūjā.