Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
Explanation of the Vāsudeva and Related Mantras (वासुदेवादिमन्त्रनिरूपणम्)
हृच्छिरश् च शिखा वर्म चास्त्रनेत्रान्तयोदरं प्रष्टबाहूरुजानूंश् च जङ्घा पादौ क्रमान्न्यसेत्
hṛcchiraś ca śikhā varma cāstranetrāntayodaraṃ praṣṭabāhūrujānūṃś ca jaṅghā pādau kramānnyaset
ક્રમથી ન્યાસ કરવો—પ્રથમ હૃદય અને શિર પર; પછી શિખા અને કવચ પર; પછી નેત્રો, અંત-સ્થાનો અને ઉદર પર અસ્ત્ર-મંત્ર; ત્યારબાદ પીઠ, બાહુ, ઊરુ, જાનુ, જઙ્ઘા અને પાદ પર પગલે પગલે।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Performing dvādaśāṅga (twelve-limbed) nyāsa in a fixed bodily order for Agneya-vidyā protective installation, covering core, extremities, and lower limbs.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dvādaśāṅga Nyāsa: Body-Sequence from Heart to Feet","lookup_keywords":["dvādaśāṅga-nyāsa","hṛdaya","śikhā","kavaca","udara","pāda"],"quick_summary":"Provides the ordered body-map for installing mantra: heart/head, crown/armor, astra at eyes and extremities and abdomen, then back, arms, thighs, knees, shanks, and feet."}
Weapon Type: Astra (protective missile-mantra)
Concept: Somatic sacralization: mantra is installed progressively to integrate cognition (head/eyes), vitality (heart/abdomen), and action (limbs/feet).
Application: Use a consistent order each sitting; synchronize touch, visualization, and bīja utterance to avoid ‘broken’ nyāsa (khaṇḍa-nyāsa) and to strengthen protective intent.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Nyāsa and protective body-installation in mantra-sādhana)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A full-body diagram of a practitioner with twelve highlighted loci from heart and head down to feet; sequential arrows indicate the nyāsa order, with ‘astra’ emphasized at eyes and extremities.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized standing figure with twelve glowing points, arrowed sequence, warm earthy palette, sacred aura surrounding the body-map","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure with gold-leaf halos at each locus, ornate inscriptions, astra points rendered as sharp radiant motifs near eyes and hands/feet","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: technical chart-like painting, clean labels for each body part, gentle colors, emphasis on step-by-step order and hand-gesture placement","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: physician-like diagram aesthetic in a manuscript folio, figure with annotated loci, fine calligraphy, delicate shading"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हृच्छिरः = हृत् + शिरः; चास्त्रनेत्रान्तयोदरं = च + अस्त्रनेत्रान्तयोः + उदरम्; जानूंश् = जानून् (anusvāra/visarga sandhi in transmission); क्रमान्न्यसेत् = क्रमात् + न्यसेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 25.11 (ṣaḍaṅga vs dvādaśāṅga); Agni Purana 25.10 (nyāsa then japa)
FAQs
It teaches the nyāsa-krama—sequentially installing protective mantras (heart, head, śikhā, kavaca, astra, and then limbs) to create a ritual ‘armor’ over the practitioner’s body.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual technology—precise bodily placements and protective formulae—showing it functions as a manual of applied mantra-śāstra alongside other sciences.
Nyāsa sacralizes the body as a fit vessel for worship, seals the directions/limbs against impediments, and is traditionally held to enhance purity, concentration, and protective merit during sādhana.