Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 9
हृदये च तथा कार्यं कण्ठे सूत्रद्वयं तथा ललाते चापरं कार्यं मस्तके च तथापरं
hṛdaye ca tathā kāryaṃ kaṇṭhe sūtradvayaṃ tathā lalāte cāparaṃ kāryaṃ mastake ca tathāparaṃ
ഹൃദയപ്രദേശത്തും അതുപോലെ ചെയ്യണം; കണ്ഠത്തിൽ രണ്ട് സൂത്രങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിക്കണം. ലലാടത്തും മറ്റൊരു സ്ഥാപനം ചെയ്യണം; മസ്തകത്തും അതുപോലെ മറ്റൊരു സ്ഥാപനം ചെയ്യണം.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Nyāsa/āvaraṇa-style placement of sacred threads or mantra-points on heart, throat, forehead, and crown during pūjā or consecration rites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṅga-nyāsa points: hṛdaya, kaṇṭha, lalāṭa, mastaka","lookup_keywords":["nyāsa","hṛdaya","kaṇṭha","lalāṭa","mastaka","sūtra-dvaya"],"quick_summary":"Lists upper-body nyāsa placements: heart, throat (paired), forehead, and crown. Used to ritually ‘seat’ power/identity in the body or icon through ordered placements."}
Concept: Śarīra/Pratimā as mantra-adhāra (a support for installing sacred power through ordered placements).
Application: Guides practitioners in consistent nyāsa sequencing to stabilize attention and ritual efficacy during pūjā/saṃskāra.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-nyasa (Ritual placement of sacred threads/mantras on the body)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist marks or touches heart, throat (with paired threads), forehead, and crown on a devotee or icon, indicating nyāsa points in a vertical sequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest performing nyāsa on a standing figure/icon, clear touchpoints at hṛdaya, kaṇṭha (two lines), lalāṭa, mastaka; lamp-lit sanctum ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, priest and icon with gold-highlighted crown area, subtle thread placements, rich devotional setting with ornate arch and lamps.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional layout: frontal figure with four highlighted nyāsa points, priest’s hand gesture (mudrā) near each point, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate ritual scene with precise gestures touching heart/throat/forehead/crown, delicate textiles, subdued palette, detailed facial expressions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sūtradvayaṃ → sūtra-dvayam; cāparaṃ → ca + aparam; tathāparaṃ → tathā + aparam.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa pūjā-vidhi / nyāsa-related passages (within the same ritual cluster around adhyāya 44)
FAQs
It teaches a nyāsa/rakṣā procedure: placing or performing prescribed protective placements—specifically at the heart, throat (with two threads/strands), forehead, and crown of the head.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical ritual manuals—here, a concise instruction for bodily placements used in worship and protection rites, reflecting its compendium-style coverage of applied religious techniques.
Such placements are intended as rakṣā (spiritual protection) and ritual purification, aligning the practitioner’s body with sacred power-centers (heart, throat, forehead, crown) to safeguard and sanctify the rite.