Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 29
वागीश्वरीपूजा
The Worship of Vāgīśvarī
द्वाराणि कमलं यद्वदुपकण्ठ्युतानि तु रक्तं कोणं पीतवीथी नीलं पद्मञ्चमण्डले
dvārāṇi kamalaṃ yadvadupakaṇṭhyutāni tu raktaṃ koṇaṃ pītavīthī nīlaṃ padmañcamaṇḍale
ಮಂಡಲದಲ್ಲಿ ದ್ವಾರಗಳನ್ನು ಕಮಲದಂತೆ, ಉಪಕಂಠೀ (ಕಂಠದಂತೆ ಉಪಪ್ರಕ್ಷೇಪ) ಸಹಿತವಾಗಿ, ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಕೋಣಭಾಗ ಕೆಂಪು, ವೀಥಿಗಳು ಹಳದಿ, ಮತ್ತು ಪದ್ಮ ನೀಲವರ್ಣವಾಗಿರಲಿ.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s usual narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Color-coding and shaping of doors, corners, and avenues in a mandala/temple diagram to standardize auspicious layout and ritual visualization.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Mandala-dvāra-vinyāsa and varṇa-vidhi (red corners, yellow avenues, blue lotus)","lookup_keywords":["dvāra","upakaṇṭhya","raktakoṇa","pītavīthī","nīlapadma"],"quick_summary":"Arrange doors in lotus-like fashion with subsidiary neck-like projections; color corners red, avenues yellow, and the lotus blue—creating a codified visual grammar for the mandala."}
Concept: Varṇa (color) and ākṛti (form) function as ritual operators—mapping energies/zones in sacred space.
Application: When drawing/painting mandalas or planning temple diagrams, apply consistent color zoning to support visualization and ritual correctness.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra / Maṇḍala-Vidhi (Temple & Yantra/Vāstu diagrams)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A mandala with lotus-shaped door arrangements featuring small neck-like projections; corners painted red, connecting avenues painted yellow, and the central lotus painted deep blue.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural mandala, bold red corners, yellow pathways, deep blue central lotus, stylized lotus-like door motifs with small projections, thick outlines and temple palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore sacred diagram with gold relief borders, vivid red corner panels, yellow vīthī bands, blue lotus center, ornate door motifs like lotus petals, high contrast jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional painting, neat plan view with labeled colors, lotus-like doors with upakaṇṭhya projections, red corners and yellow avenues, blue lotus, precise geometry","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature plan illustration, refined pigments, red corner blocks, yellow lanes, blue lotus medallion, delicate door motifs, annotated margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्वदुपकण्ठ्युतानि = यद्वत् + उपकण्ठ्युतानि; पद्मञ्चमण्डले = पद्मम् + च + मण्डले
Related Themes: Agni Purana 319.26 (padma measures); Agni Purana 319.28 (vīthikā outside); Agni Purana 319.30 (svastika-adorned wish-fulfilling diagram)
FAQs
It gives a vāstu/maṇḍala specification: how entrances should be lotus-patterned with subsidiary offsets, and which colors to assign to corners, pathways (vīthīs), and the lotus-field within the sacred diagram.
Beyond myth and devotion, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied technical canons—here, architectural-ritual diagramming (maṇḍala), including spatial geometry (corners/paths) and standardized color-coding used in temple planning and consecratory layouts.
Correct maṇḍala layout and prescribed colors are treated as safeguards for ritual purity and efficacy—aligning the built/ritual space with sacred order so worship and consecration yield auspicious, unobstructed results.