Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 2
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
चतुरस्त्रीकृते क्षेत्रे मण्डलादीनि वै लिखेत् रसवाणाक्षिकोष्ठेषु सर्वतोभद्रमालिखेत् पुरुषाद्दक्षिणे च वह्निं नैरृते वारुणेनिलं आदित्यमैन्दवे पद्मे ऋग्यजुश् चैशपद्मके
caturastrīkṛte kṣetre maṇḍalādīni vai likhet rasavāṇākṣikoṣṭheṣu sarvatobhadramālikhet puruṣāddakṣiṇe ca vahniṃ nairṛte vāruṇenilaṃ ādityamaindave padme ṛgyajuś caiśapadmake
四角の区画に、マンダラ等の図をまさに描くべきである。数（rasa・vāṇa・akṣi）で示された区画には「サルヴァトーバドラ」の形を描け。ヴァーストゥ・プルシャの南にアグニを置き、ナイリタ（南西）にはヴァルナとヴァーユを置く。アインダヴァ／アインドラの蓮座にはアーディティヤ（太陽）を置き、イーシャの蓮座にはリグとヤジュ（ヴェーダの部）を配すべし。
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Ground-planning for a square ritual plot: drawing Sarvatobhadra with numbered compartments and assigning deities/veda-parts to directional lotuses for altar/temple-ritual layouts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sarvatobhadra on a square plot: koṣṭha-saṅkhyā and dik-devatā placement","lookup_keywords":["caturasra-kṣetra","koṣṭha","rasa-vāṇa-akṣi","Vāstu-Puruṣa","Īśa-padma"],"quick_summary":"Draw the mandala on a square field, map compartments by numeric markers, and place Agni, Varuṇa–Vāyu, Āditya, and Ṛg–Yajus in their prescribed directional lotuses around the Vāstu-Puruṣa."}
Concept: Cosmic order (dik, devatā, veda) is mirrored in built/ritual space through precise geometry.
Application: Use the placement scheme to design altars/mandalas so that worship aligns with directional energies and traditional vāstu constraints.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-vidyā / Maṇḍala-lakṣaṇa (Temple & altar diagrammatics; ritual ground-planning)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A square mandala-grid with numbered compartments; Vāstu-Puruṣa at center; deities placed: Agni to the south, Varuṇa and Vāyu in the southwest, Āditya in the lunar sector lotus, and Ṛg–Yajus in the Īśa lotus.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, top-down sacred diagram on a square field, vivid directional lotuses, central Vāstu-Puruṣa figure, small deity icons for Agni/Varuṇa/Vāyu/Āditya, traditional ornamental frame, earthy reds and ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gilded central Vāstu-Puruṣa medallion, square mandala with lotus compartments, gold-highlighted directional labels, miniature deity emblems in assigned sectors, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional vāstu diagram: square grid with koṣṭha numbers (rasa-vāṇa-akṣi), clear arrows for south/southwest/Īśa, neat deity symbols, minimal background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architect-priest presenting a painted square plan on a board, fine calligraphy for sector names, delicate deity motifs placed in corners and lotuses, courtly palette and precise geometry"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarvatobhadramālikhet = sarvatobhadram ālikhet; puruṣāddakṣiṇe = puruṣāt dakṣiṇe; vāruṇenilam = vāruṇa-anilam; ādityamaindave = ādityam aindave; ṛgyajuś = ṛk yajuḥ; chaiśapadmake = ca aiśa-padmake.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (koṣṭha-vinyāsa details; padma assignments in later verses)
FAQs
It teaches Vāstu/maṇḍala-vidyā: how to prepare a square ritual/architectural ground-plan, draw the Sarvatobhadra layout within numbered grid-cells, and assign specific deities/vedic divisions to prescribed directional lotus-sectors.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves applied technical knowledge—architectural-ritual drafting (mandala geometry), directional theology (dikpāla/deity placement), and Vedic mapping—showing the Purāṇa as a manual for ritual design and sacred space planning.
Correct mandala construction and deity placement is treated as aligning the site with cosmic order (ṛta), making the space ritually pure and ‘auspicious in all directions’ (sarvatobhadra), thereby supporting merit (puṇya) and efficacy of worship performed there.