Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 18
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
सिद्धादिवटुकाः पूज्या हेतुकश् च कपालिकः एकपादो भीमरूपो दिक्पालान्मध्यतो नव
siddhādivaṭukāḥ pūjyā hetukaś ca kapālikaḥ ekapādo bhīmarūpo dikpālānmadhyato nava
ಸಿದ್ಧ ಮೊದಲಾದ ವಟುಕರನ್ನು ಪೂಜಿಸಬೇಕು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಹೇತುಕ ಮತ್ತು ಕಪಾಲಿಕ ರೂಪಗಳನ್ನೂ. ಏಕಪಾದ ಮತ್ತು ಭೀಮರೂಪ—ದಿಕ್ಪಾಲರ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ಥಿತವಾಗಿರುವ ಈ ಒಂಬತ್ತು (ದೇವ/ಪರಿವಾರ).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mandala-based worship: installing and honoring Bhairava/vaṭuka attendants and enumerating a ninefold inner circle aligned with Dikpālas for protective ritual geometry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vaṭuka and Bhairava-attendant Pūjā within Dikpāla-mandala (Nine in the center)","lookup_keywords":["Vaṭuka","Siddha vaṭuka","Hetuka","Kapālika","Dikpāla mandala"],"quick_summary":"Instructs worship of vaṭukas (starting with Siddha) and specific fierce attendants (Hetuka, Kapālika, Ekapāda, Bhīmarūpa), forming a ninefold set positioned amid the directional guardians."}
Concept: Ritual space is sacralized through ordered placement of powers; guardianship is achieved by āvaraṇa (enclosure) logic—center and directions mutually secure the sādhana.
Application: In pūjā, map Dikpālas to directions, then place the nine attendants in the madhya (inner zone) as prescribed; offer bali/incense appropriate to fierce forms where tradition allows.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi & Tantra (Bhairava/Kāpālika attendants; Dikpāla-related enumeration)
Primary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual mandala diagram: eight Dikpālas around the perimeter with a central cluster of nine fierce attendants/vaṭukas; offerings placed at nodes; the atmosphere is protective and formidable.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular mandala with Dikpālas at eight directions, central nine fierce attendants with bold eyes and ornaments, ritual lamps, strong outlines and saturated colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embellished mandala frame, Dikpālas in directional niches, central fierce attendants with ornate crowns, heavy gold work highlighting the protective enclosure","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional mandala chart with labeled directions, stylized attendant figures (Ekapāda, Kapālika) rendered delicately, muted palette for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down mandala composition like a garden plan, directional guardians in corners, central nine figures, meticulous detailing of offerings and ritual implements"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सिद्धादिवटुकाः = सिद्ध + आदि + वटुकाः; हेतुकश् = हेतुकः + च (visarga→ś before c); दिक्पालान्मध्यतो = दिक्पालान् + मध्यतः (anusvāra/cluster sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 347 (Dikpāla-related pūjā and attendant-deity enumerations)
FAQs
It specifies a set of named Vaṭuka/gaṇa forms (Siddhādi, Hetuka, Kapālika, Ekapāda, Bhīmarūpa) to be worshipped as a ninefold group positioned among the Dikpālas—useful for constructing a ritual mandala and sequencing deity-invocations.
It catalogs precise deity/attendant names and their placement relative to the Dikpālas, reflecting the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style—preserving ritual taxonomies, mandala-structure data, and specialized tantric nomenclature alongside other sciences.
Worship of these terrifying/guardian-associated forms is presented as a method of ritual protection and directional safeguarding, supporting purification and the successful completion of rites by harmonizing the practitioner’s space with the Dikpāla order.