Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 3
Tvaritā-pūjā (The Worship of Tvaritā) — Transition Verse and Context
अष्टादशभुजां सिंहे वामजङ्घा प्रतिष्ठिता दक्षिणा द्विगुणा तस्याः पादपीठे समर्पिता
aṣṭādaśabhujāṃ siṃhe vāmajaṅghā pratiṣṭhitā dakṣiṇā dviguṇā tasyāḥ pādapīṭhe samarpitā
अठारह भुजाओं वाली देवी सिंह पर आरूढ़ स्थापित है। उसकी बायीं जंघा सिंह पर स्थित है और दाहिनी जंघा अधिक मुड़ी हुई होकर पादपीठ पर रखी गई है।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s customary dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Designing and installing a Devi-murti according to prescribed posture (āsana) and leg-placement for correct iconographic validity in temple or domestic worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Aṣṭādaśabhujā Devī on Siṃha: Leg-Placement (Pāda-vinyāsa)","lookup_keywords":["aṣṭādaśabhujā","siṃhāsana","pāda-vinyāsa","pādapīṭha","murti-lakṣaṇa"],"quick_summary":"The verse fixes the Devi’s stance on the lion-mount: left leg established on the lion, right leg more bent and placed on a footstool. This guides sculptors/painters to standardize posture for ritual correctness."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on correct form (rūpa) and placement (nyāsa/vinyāsa) of the deity-image.
Application: Use as a checklist item in murti-making, painting, and prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā preparation to avoid iconographic faults (doṣa).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Murti-lakshana (Iconography and deity-installation descriptions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Eighteen-armed Goddess seated/poised on a lion, left leg grounded on the lion’s body, right leg more bent resting on a small footstool attached to the pedestal; regal, battle-ready composure.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, bold flat colors and strong outlines; aṣṭādaśabhujā Devī on a lion, left leg set on the lion, right bent on a pādapīṭha; ornate jewelry, halo, symmetrical arm spread; deep red and ochre background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf work; lion-mounted eighteen-armed Devi, prominent pādapīṭha under the right foot, embossed jewelry and halo, rich maroon-green palette, temple-arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style with delicate linework; instructional clarity on leg placement—left on lion, right on footstool—clean pedestal details, soft shading, restrained background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with fine detailing; Devi with eighteen arms on a lion, right foot on a small footstool, courtly landscape backdrop, intricate textiles and jewelry, precise anatomy and posture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: aṣṭādaśabhujāṃ = aṣṭādaśa-bhujām (dvigu compound); vāmajaṅghā = vāma-jaṅghā; pādapīṭhe = pāda-pīṭhe.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Puja-vidhi sections on pratimā-lakṣaṇa and pratiṣṭhā; Agni Purana: Isana-kalpa style dhyāna/āyudha listings nearby in the same adhyāya cluster
FAQs
It gives a precise sculptural/installation specification (murti-lakṣaṇa): the Goddess is to be shown mounted on a lion, with the left leg set on the mount and the right leg more flexed and resting on a footstool (pādapīṭha).
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical śilpa- and pūjā-oriented details—posture, mount, and pedestal placement—used by artisans and priests for correct temple imagery and ritual conformity.
Correct iconographic form is treated as essential for proper invocation and worship: an accurately made and installed image is believed to support effective devotion, auspiciousness, and the intended ritual merit (puṇya).