Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 7
Chapter 305 — Narasiṃha and Related Mantras (नारसिंहादिमन्त्राः)
मूर्धाक्षिमुखहृद्गुह्यपादे ह्य् अस्याक्षरान्न्यसेत् चक्राब्जासनमग्न्याभं दंष्ट्रणञ्च चतुर्भुजम्
mūrdhākṣimukhahṛdguhyapāde hy asyākṣarānnyaset cakrābjāsanamagnyābhaṃ daṃṣṭraṇañca caturbhujam
ಈ ಮಂತ್ರದ ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳನ್ನು ಶಿರಸ್ಸು, ನೇತ್ರಗಳು, ಮುಖ, ಹೃದಯ, ಗುಹ್ಯಪ್ರದೇಶ ಮತ್ತು ಪಾದಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನ್ಯಾಸ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ನಂತರ ಅಗ್ನಿತೇಜಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಕಾಶಿಸುವ, ಪದ್ಮಾಸನಸ್ಥ, ಚಕ್ರಧಾರಿ, ದಂಷ್ಟ್ರಾಯುಕ್ತ ಹಾಗೂ ಚತುರ್ಭುಜ ದೇವರನ್ನು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (instructor) to sage Vasiṣṭha (listener), as per the common Agni Purana dialogue frame
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Nyāsa (mantra-syllable placement) and dhyāna to consecrate the practitioner’s body as a mantra-seat and to stabilize visualization before worship/homa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nyāsa and Dhyāna of a Fire-lustrous Four-armed Fierce Deity (Cakrābja-āsana)","lookup_keywords":["nyasa","dhyana","cakra","caturbhuja","damshtra"],"quick_summary":"Place mantra-syllables on specified body-loci (head, eyes, mouth, heart, genitals, feet) and then visualize a fiery, lotus-seated, four-armed form bearing the discus with protruding fangs."}
Concept: Deha as mantra-maṇḍala: nyāsa sacralizes the body and makes visualization efficacious.
Application: Perform nyāsa before japa/homa to reduce distraction and to ‘seat’ the deity-power in the practitioner’s limbs and vital centers.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi & Tantra (Nyāsa–Dhyāna of a fierce, fire-lustrous deity-form)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka performs nyāsa touching head, eyes, mouth, heart, genitals, and feet; behind him appears a blazing, lotus-seated, four-armed fierce form with protruding fangs holding the discus.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet vivid colors, fiery halo, lotus throne, four-armed ugra Vaiṣṇava form with cakra, prominent daṃṣṭrā, sādhaka in front doing nyāsa mudrā, ornate borders, sacred ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, central fiery deity on lotus, embossed aureole, four arms with cakra emphasized, stylized fangs, rich reds and golds, devotee performing nyāsa at the bottom, temple arch framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework, instructional clarity: sequence of nyāsa points indicated subtly, deity as agni-lustrous four-armed lotus-seated form with cakra, minimal background, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior shrine setting, sādhaka touching limbs for nyāsa, luminous fiery deity apparition on lotus, fine textile patterns, delicate flames, precise facial features with small fangs"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मूर्धाक्षिमुखहृद्गुह्यपादे → मूर्ध-अक्षि-मुख-हृत्-गुह्य-पादेषु (सप्तमी बहुवचन अर्थे); ह्य् अस्य → हि अस्य; अक्षरान्न्यसेत् → अक्षराणि न्यसेत्; दंष्ट्रणञ्च → दंष्ट्रिणम् च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 305 (Sudarśana-cakra/yantra-pūjā sequence: nyāsa → dhyāna → lekhana → homa)
FAQs
It teaches mantra-nyāsa: assigning the mantra’s syllables to specific body-loci (head, eyes, mouth, heart, guhya, feet) and then performing dhyāna by visualizing a fire-radiant, lotus-seated, cakra-bearing, four-armed, fanged deity-form.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves a practical ritual-technology—nyāsa and iconographic dhyāna—showing the Agni Purana’s manual-like coverage of tantric/puja procedures alongside its many other disciplines.
Nyāsa and dhyāna sacralize the practitioner’s body as a mantra-seat, focusing mind and senses; this is traditionally held to purify, protect, and make the worship efficacious by uniting mantra, body, and deity-visualization.