Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 22
Chapter 21 — सामान्यपूजाकथनम्
Teaching on General Worship
सावाराध्योपरं दुःखमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अग्निसाश्रयवायुगानिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अर्काय शिरसे तद्वदग्निजायायुतञ्च तदिति ङ,चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शक्तिश् च निर्गता इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः चक्रं गदां क्रमाच्छङ्खं मुषलं खड्गशार्ङ्गकम् पाशाङ्कुशौ च श्रीवत्सं कौस्तुभं वनमालया
sāvārādhyoparaṃ duḥkhamiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ agnisāśrayavāyugāniti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ arkāya śirase tadvadagnijāyāyutañca taditi ṅa,cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śaktiś ca nirgatā iti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ cakraṃ gadāṃ kramācchaṅkhaṃ muṣalaṃ khaḍgaśārṅgakam pāśāṅkuśau ca śrīvatsaṃ kaustubhaṃ vanamālayā
कुछ पाण्डुलिपियों में ‘सावाराध्य…’, ‘अग्निसाश्रय…’, ‘अर्क के लिए शिरः… वैसे ही अग्निजाया के लिए…’ तथा ‘शक्ति निकल पड़ी…’ ऐसे पाठभेद मिलते हैं। प्रचलित पाठ में देवता के हाथों में चक्र, गदा, क्रम से शंख; मूसल, खड्ग और शार्ङ्ग (धनुष); साथ ही पाश और अंकुश; तथा श्रीवत्स-चिह्न, कौस्तुभ-मणि और वनमाला का वर्णन है।
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Dhyāna for pūjā: visualize Viṣṇu with specified āyudha and lakṣaṇa; supports correct icon-making, yantra/mandala placement, and focused worship.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Viṣṇu’s Āyudha and Lakṣaṇa: Cakra–Gadā–Śaṅkha etc., with Śrīvatsa and Kaustubha","lookup_keywords":["Viṣṇu iconography","cakra gadā śaṅkha","śārṅga bow","śrīvatsa","kaustubha"],"quick_summary":"The verse lists Viṣṇu’s emblems—discus, mace, conch, pestle, sword, bow Śārṅga, noose, goad—plus Śrīvatsa, Kaustubha, and forest garland, serving as a dhyāna/iconographic checklist."}
Weapon Type: Discus (cakra), mace (gadā), conch (śaṅkha as war-signal), pestle (muṣala), sword (khaḍga), bow (śārṅga), noose (pāśa), goad (aṅkuśa)
Concept: Dhyāna-lakṣaṇa: precise visualization of deity attributes stabilizes mind and ritual correctness.
Application: Use as a mental/ritual checklist before arcana; for sculptors/painters, ensures canonical āyudha and chest-marks are not omitted.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devata-dhyana (Iconography of Vishnu and divine emblems)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant Viṣṇu form displaying multiple weapons and auspicious marks—Śrīvatsa on the chest, Kaustubha jewel, and vanamālā—presented as a dhyāna image for worship.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, frontal Viṣṇu with multiple arms holding cakra, gadā, śaṅkha, muṣala, khaḍga, Śārṅga, pāśa, aṅkuśa; clear Śrīvatsa and Kaustubha on chest; vanamālā; bold outlines and saturated greens/blues","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Viṣṇu enthroned with gold-leaf halo, embossed jewelry highlighting Kaustubha, Śrīvatsa mark on chest, multiple arms with weapons, rich textile patterns, symmetrical devotional composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean iconographic plate style: labeled weapons around Viṣṇu, emphasis on correct placement of Śrīvatsa and Kaustubha, soft pastel palette, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly devotional scene with a painter depicting Viṣṇu’s emblems on a folio, Viṣṇu appearing in vision with detailed weapons, fine shading, ornate borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्रमाच्छङ्खम् → क्रमात् + शङ्खम् (त् + श → च्छ); verse contains multiple manuscript notes (cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ etc.) omitted from pada list as editorial apparatus.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Shilpa/Pratimā-lakṣaṇa chapters (Viṣṇu-mūrti attributes); Agni Purana: Puja-vidhi dhyāna and āvaraṇa-devatā portions
FAQs
It gives a dhyāna/iconographic checklist for visualizing Vishnu in worship: the sequence of weapons (cakra, gadā, śaṅkha, etc.) and auspicious identifiers (Śrīvatsa, Kaustubha, Vanamālā) used in pūjā and meditation.
Alongside theology, it preserves practical temple-and-ritual iconography—standardized attributes and insignia—plus notes on manuscript variants, reflecting the text’s compendious, reference-like character.
Correctly meditating on the deity with recognized emblems is treated as a means to steadier concentration (dhyāna-siddhi) and devotional merit (puṇya) by aligning the worshipper’s visualization with orthodox forms.