Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 47
वागीश्वरीपूजा
The Worship of Vāgīśvarī
देव्यादिख्यापकं भद्रं वृहन्मध्ये परं लघु लोपयेदिति ञ लोपयेदिति ट मध्ये नवपदं पद्मं कोणे भद्रचतुष्टयम्
devyādikhyāpakaṃ bhadraṃ vṛhanmadhye paraṃ laghu lopayediti ña lopayediti ṭa madhye navapadaṃ padmaṃ koṇe bhadracatuṣṭayam
देवी का प्रकाशक शुभ भद्र-यंत्र इस प्रकार विन्यस्त करे कि ‘वृहन्’ मध्य में रहे और ‘पर’ तथा ‘लघु’ अपने-अपने स्थानों में हों। ‘लोपयेत्’ के निर्देश में ‘ञ’ का लोप करे; इसी प्रकार ‘लोपयेत्’ में ‘ट’ का लोप करे। मध्य में नवपद पद्म हो और कोनों में चार भद्र हों।
Lord Agni (traditional narrator of Agni Purana) instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Designing a bhadra-based goddess-proclaiming maṇḍala with specified central/corner components, alongside a mantra/word-form instruction to omit specific letters for correct bīja/śabda formation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Devī-bhadra Maṇḍala: Vṛhat–Para–Laghu placement and Lopayet letter-omission rule","lookup_keywords":["devyādikhyāpaka bhadra","vṛhat madhye","navapada padma","bhadra-catuṣṭaya koṇa","lopayet ña ṭa"],"quick_summary":"Arrange an auspicious bhadra diagram centered on a nine-compartment lotus with four corner bhadras; additionally, apply a phonetic omission rule (dropping ña/ṭa in the stated forms) to preserve correct mantra/diagram nomenclature."}
Concept: Mantra and maṇḍala cohere: correct phoneme-handling (varṇa-śuddhi) and correct spatial placement (deśa-śuddhi) jointly ‘proclaim’ the deity.
Application: When copying/manufacturing a yantra or writing associated mantra-words, follow the stated lopayet rule to avoid corrupt bīja/nyāsa; draw the navapada lotus at center and place four bhadras at corners for stability and protection.
Khanda Section: Yantra-Mantra & Vastu (Diagrammatic ritual-geometry instructions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A goddess-centered bhadra maṇḍala: a nine-compartment lotus in the middle, four bhadra panels at the corners, and annotated syllables showing omission of ña and ṭa in the written mantra-instruction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Devī’s presence suggested by a glowing central navapada lotus, four corner bhadras, subtle script-like markings for bīja, earthy pigments, temple-floor ritual setting","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central lotus with gold halo indicating Devī, corner bhadras framed with gold, rich ornamentation, stylized Sanskrit letters showing lopayet omissions","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional diagram with labeled vṛhat/para/laghu placements, neat Devanagari annotations for ña/ṭa omission, soft colors, didactic composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-priest demonstrating a yantra on paper with reed pen, geometric navapada lotus and corner bhadras, marginal notes about omitted letters, courtly atelier feel"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: devyādikhyāpakaṃ → devyādi-khyāpakam; vṛhanmadhye → vṛhat-madhye; lopayediti → lopayet iti; bhadracatuṣṭayam → bhadra-catuṣṭayam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 319 (Bhadra/Padma maṇḍala variants)
FAQs
It gives yantra/maṇḍala construction rules: a Bhadra-type arrangement with a central nine-compartment lotus (navapada padma) and four auspicious corner-units (bhadracatuṣṭaya), plus phonetic ‘lopa’ (elision) instructions for specific letters (ña, ṭa) in mantra/technical wording.
It shows the Purana functioning as a practical manual—combining ritual-geometry (maṇḍala layout used in pūjā, temple/altar planning, and yantra practice) with linguistic/phonetic procedure (lopa rules), illustrating its coverage beyond mythology into applied śāstric technique.
Correct placement of the maṇḍala and precise mantra-phonetics are treated as essential for ritual efficacy—ensuring the intended devatā-invocation (here, Devī) is properly established and the rite yields merit (puṇya) and purification through accurate, non-defective performance.