Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 6
Chapter 290 — गजशान्तिः
Gaja-śānti: Elephant-Pacification Rite
स्थण्डिले कमले मध्ये विष्णुं लक्ष्मीञ्च केशरे ब्रह्माणं भास्करं पृथ्वीं यजेत् स्कन्दं ह्य् अनन्तकं
sthaṇḍile kamale madhye viṣṇuṃ lakṣmīñca keśare brahmāṇaṃ bhāskaraṃ pṛthvīṃ yajet skandaṃ hy anantakaṃ
Di atas tanah upacara, dalam maṇḍala berbentuk teratai, hendaknya memuja Viṣṇu di pusatnya; Lakṣmī pada serbuk sari (keśara); serta memuja Brahmā, Bhāskara (Surya), Pṛthvī, Skanda, dan Anantaka.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa framing)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Padma-maṇḍala/yantra-racana meṃ devatā-nyāsa karke pūjā-krama sthāpit karna (kendra, keśara, dala-ādi sthāna-nirdhāraṇa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Padma-maṇḍale Viṣṇu–Lakṣmī-ādi devatā-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["padma-mandala","devata-nyasa","Vishnu","Lakshmi","sthandila-puja"],"quick_summary":"Sthaṇḍila par padma-yantra meṃ kendra meṃ Viṣṇu, keśara meṃ Lakṣmī, tathā anya devatāoṃ ko nirdiṣṭa sthānoṃ par āvāhya-yajana kī vidhi batāī gayī hai."}
Concept: Maṇḍala meṃ devatā-krama se jagat-tattva (pṛthvī, sūrya) aur īśvara-tattva (Viṣṇu) kā saṃyojana.
Application: Pūjā meṃ kendra-bindu ko īṣṭa-devatā ke rūpa meṃ sthāpit karke anya tattvoṃ ko parikara-rūpa se nyasta karna.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mandala/Padma-puja and Devata-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Ritual ground with a drawn lotus-maṇḍala; Viṣṇu in the center, Lakṣmī on the pericarp, and surrounding placements for Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, and Ananta.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy pigments, padma-yantra on sthaṇḍila, central Viṣṇu with conch-disc, Lakṣmī on keśara, surrounding devatās as small icons, ritual priest at edge, sacred geometry emphasized","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold foil highlights on lotus diagram, central Viṣṇu richly ornamented, Lakṣmī seated on pericarp ring, small medallion icons for Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, Ananta around, deep red background","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing instructional lotus-maṇḍala layout, labeled positions (kendra/keśara/dala), subdued colors, priest drawing with stylus and rice-powder","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down view of ritual courtyard, finely detailed lotus diagram, central Viṣṇu icon, attendants placing offerings at marked nodes, delicate borders and calligraphy cartouches"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लक्ष्मीञ्च = लक्ष्मीम् + च; ह्य् = हि (before vowel, often written hy).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 290 (padma/maṇḍala-nyāsa-krama)
FAQs
It gives a precise padma-maṇḍala (lotus-diagram) placement rule: Viṣṇu is installed in the center, Lakṣmī in the keśara (pericarp/inner ring), with additional worship of Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, and Anantaka as part of the same ritual layout.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical liturgical engineering—how to construct a sacred diagram, assign deities to specific loci, and perform multi-deity worship in an ordered sequence—showing its role as a manual of ritual technology alongside other sciences.
Correctly placing and worshiping deities in a consecrated lotus-maṇḍala is taught as a harmonizing act: it aligns the worshipper with cosmic order (Viṣṇu-centered), invokes prosperity (Lakṣmī), and seeks protection and stability through the accompanying deities, supporting purification and merit through properly performed pūjā.