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
十八臂の女神は獅子の上に安置される。左脚は獅子の上に確立し、右脚はより深く屈して足台（pādapīṭha）に置かれる。
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).