Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 44
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
कोष्ठकानां भद्रकञ्च मध्ये षोडशकोष्ठकैः पार्श्वे वीथीं ततश्चाष्टभद्राण्यथ च वीथिका
koṣṭhakānāṃ bhadrakañca madhye ṣoḍaśakoṣṭhakaiḥ pārśve vīthīṃ tataścāṣṭabhadrāṇyatha ca vīthikā
कोष्ठकों के बीच में एक भद्रक स्थापित करे; पार्श्वों में सोलह कोष्ठक सजाए; फिर एक वीथी (मार्ग) दे, और उसके बाद आठ भद्रक तथा एक वीथिका (उपमार्ग) बनाए।
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s technical instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Planning a mandala-based architectural/town/temple layout: placing a central bhadraka, arranging side compartments, and providing main and subsidiary passages (vīthī, vīthikā) with additional bhadrakas.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Koṣṭhaka-Vinyāsa: Central Bhadraka, Side 16 Koṣṭhakas, Vīthī and Vīthikā with 8 Bhadrakas","lookup_keywords":["koṣṭhaka","bhadraka","vīthī","vīthikā","mandala-layout"],"quick_summary":"A layout rule: establish a central auspicious bay, distribute sixteen compartments on the sides, then add a main passage and later eight additional bhadrakas plus a smaller lane—forming an ordered circulation plan."}
Concept: Auspiciousness is engineered through spatial hierarchy: a sanctified center (bhadraka) and regulated movement (vīthī/vīthikā) around ordered compartments.
Application: When drafting plans, lock the central bay first, then allocate side cells, then design circulation widths and secondary lanes to preserve symmetry and functional access.
Khanda Section: Vastu-shastra (Architecture, town/temple planning, mandala layouts)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grid-plan drawn on the ground: a highlighted central bhadraka, sixteen side compartments, a broad main passage (vīthī), then eight marked bhadrakas and a narrower lane (vīthikā).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top-down schematic rendered artistically: central square glowing, surrounding compartments, bold labeled passages, craftsmen with measuring cords, decorative temple motifs framing the plan","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-highlighted central bhadraka and borders, craftsmen presenting the plan to a patron, rich reds/greens, ornamental pillars around the schematic","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, precise architectural diagram aesthetic, clear grid and labels for koṣṭhaka/bhadraka/vīthī/vīthikā, muted background, emphasis on instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architects and patron examining a detailed plan on paper, fine geometric grid, courtyard setting with instruments, delicate color palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भद्रकञ्च = भद्रकम् + च. ततश्चाष्टभद्राणि = ततः + च + अष्टभद्राणि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vāstu sections on maṇḍala-pada arrangements, bhadraka definitions, and vīthī measurements
FAQs
It teaches a Vastu-shastra layout rule: how to arrange compartments (koṣṭhakas) with a central bhadraka, side units counted as sixteen, and the placement of passages (vīthī/vīthikā) plus eight additional bhadrakas—i.e., a counted, modular plan for a structure or mandala.
Beyond myth and devotion, the Agni Purana preserves applied technical sciences; here it encodes architectural planning terminology (koṣṭhaka, bhadraka, vīthī) and numerical design constraints typical of classical Indian Vastu treatises.
In Vastu thought, correct proportioning and auspicious placement (bhadraka, ordered passages) harmonize the built space with dharma and cosmic order, supporting purity, stability, and beneficial results for the occupants and ritual activity performed there.