Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 40
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
वराहं पूजयित्वा च पूर्वपद्मे ततः क्रमात् व्यूहान् सम्पूजयेत्तावत् यावत् षड्विंशमो भवेत्
varāhaṃ pūjayitvā ca pūrvapadme tataḥ kramāt vyūhān sampūjayettāvat yāvat ṣaḍviṃśamo bhavet
પૂર્વ પદ્માસનમાં વરાહનું પૂજન કરીને, પછી ક્રમસર વ્યૂહોનું સંપૂર્ણ પૂજન કરવું; જ્યાં સુધી છવ્વીસમું સ્થાન/દેવતા ન આવે ત્યાં સુધી પૂજનક્રમ ચાલુ રાખવો.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Ritual placement and worship sequence: install Varāha on the eastern lotus-seat, then worship the vyūhas in order until the count reaches the 26th placement—useful as a checklist for complete mandala worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Varāha-pūjā and completion of vyūha-krama up to the 26th placement","lookup_keywords":["Varāha","eastern lotus-seat","vyūha worship","ṣaḍviṃśa","padma-maṇḍala sequence"],"quick_summary":"Begin by worshipping Varāha at the eastern lotus position, then proceed sequentially through the vyūhas. Continue the full worship until the 26th deity/placement is completed, ensuring completeness of the mandala rite."}
Concept: Incarnation (avatāra) worship integrated into emanational theology (vyūha) through ordered ritual enumeration; completeness (pūrṇatā) is itself a ritual virtue.
Application: Use the ‘until the 26th’ rule as a completion criterion in pūjā manuals—preventing omission of placements and maintaining liturgical integrity.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Vaishnava iconography and ritual arrangement: Varaha and the Vyuhas)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha deity installed on the eastern lotus seat of a mandala; the priest proceeds around the lotus worshipping successive vyūhas, with a visible count/sequence culminating in the 26th placement.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha with earth (Bhū-devī) motif suggested, seated on an eastern lotus petal, surrounding petals filled with vyūha forms, priest moving clockwise with lamps, bold outlines and rich palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Varāha central emphasis with gold embossing, eastern lotus seat highlighted, surrounding vyūhas on petals with gold halos, ritual offerings and lamps, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional composition showing the lotus with numbered placements up to 26, Varāha at east, priest performing sequential archana, delicate lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: shrine interior with Varāha icon on an eastern platform, a lotus diagram on the floor with small deity emblems, attendant keeping tally on a scroll, intricate architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पूर्वपद्मे = पूर्व-पद्मे; सम्पूजयेत्तावत् = सम्पूजयेत् तावत्; षड्विंशमो = षड्विंशमः (पुं. प्रथमा एक.).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29.39 (pañcaviṃśatika-vyūha placement); Agni Purana 29 (Varāha and vyūha-related pūjā-vidhi context)
FAQs
It gives a precise ritual sequence (krama) for worship: place and worship Varāha at the eastern lotus position first, then perform ordered worship of the Vyūhas until the count reaches the twenty-sixth placement/deity in the prescribed scheme.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves practical liturgical procedure—mandala/lotus-based deity placement, sequential archana, and enumerated worship counts—showing the Agni Purana as a manual of temple and household ritual alongside theology.
Performing worship in the correct order and placement is presented as ensuring ritual completeness (sampūjā), aligning devotion with the cosmos-ordered emanations (Vyūhas), and thereby increasing the efficacy (phala) and purity of the rite.