Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 7
नगरादिवास्तुकथनं
Discourse on Vāstu for Cities and Related Settlements
पितरं द्वारपालञ्च सुग्रीवं पुष्पदन्तकं वरुणं दैत्यशेषौ च यक्ष्माणं पश्चिमे सदा
pitaraṃ dvārapālañca sugrīvaṃ puṣpadantakaṃ varuṇaṃ daityaśeṣau ca yakṣmāṇaṃ paścime sadā
പടിഞ്ഞാറുദിക്കിൽ എപ്പോഴും പിതൃകൾ, ദ്വാരപാലൻ, സുഗ്രീവൻ, പുഷ്പദന്തകൻ, വരുണൻ, ശേഷിക്കുന്ന ദൈത്യർ, യക്ഷ്മാണൻ എന്നിവരെ സ്ഥാപിക്കണം।
Lord Agni (in dialogue with Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Quarter-wise placement/invocation of guardians and beings in the West for vāstu-maṇḍala, doorway protection, and ritual boundary-setting.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Paścima Dikdevatā-nyāsa (Pitṛ–Dvārapāla–Varuṇādi)","lookup_keywords":["pascima-dik","Pitr","Dvarapala","Varuna","vastu-mandala"],"quick_summary":"The verse lists entities to be installed in the western quarter—Pitṛs, door-guardian, named attendants, Varuṇa, and others—supporting protective and orderly spatial consecration."}
Concept: Spatial dharma: guardians and ancestral forces are acknowledged and stationed to harmonize the built/ritual environment.
Application: In temple/house vāstu or pūjā-maṇḍala, assign western quarter and doorway guardians to prevent doṣa (inauspiciousness) and ensure ritual containment.
Khanda Section: Vastu & Dikpala-Devata Nyasa (Directional Deities and Guardians in Ritual/Vastu layout)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Sacred-direction
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A western quadrant of a ritual diagram showing Pitṛ symbols (piṇḍa/tilodaka), a fierce Dvārapāla at the doorway, and Varuṇa with pāśa, all arranged as prescribed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, doorway with twin dvārapālas, Varuṇa in the western panel holding pāśa, Pitṛs shown as serene ancestral figures receiving water-offering, strong outlines and temple-wall composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, ornate doorway guardian with gold relief, Varuṇa seated on makara with gold halo, Pitṛs depicted above with offering vessels, quadrant framing in gold","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional vāstu layout with west marked, small dvārapāla at threshold, Varuṇa icon, Pitṛ offering diagram (tilodaka), neat captions","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a ritual pavilion with west side emphasized, priest placing offerings for Pitṛs, a guard figure at the door, Varuṇa painted as a regal deity with water motifs"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्वारपालञ्च → द्वारपालम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 105 (dikpāla/nyāsa sequence around the maṇḍala)
FAQs
It gives a Vastu/ritual-nyāsa instruction: which deities and guardian figures are to be assigned to the western direction as part of a directional layout (dik-vinyāsa) for worship or sacred architecture.
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied ritual-technology—standardized directional assignments of deities used in temple planning, protective rites, and mandala-based worship—showing the text’s coverage of Vastu and liturgical procedure.
Correct directional placement is treated as harmonizing sacred space and invoking protection; aligning with prescribed dik-devatā order is believed to remove obstacles and stabilize the merit (puṇya) of the rite performed in that space.