Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 25
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
भ्रामयित्वा वहिर् नेमावरसन्ध्यन्तरे स्थितः भ्रामयेदरमूलन्तु सन्धिमध्ये व्यवस्थितः मन्त्रध्यानं प्रवक्ष्यामि येन स्यान्मन्त्रजं फलम् स्थूलं शब्दमयं रूपं विग्रहं वाह्यमिष्यते
bhrāmayitvā vahir nemāvarasandhyantare sthitaḥ bhrāmayedaramūlantu sandhimadhye vyavasthitaḥ mantradhyānaṃ pravakṣyāmi yena syānmantrajaṃ phalam sthūlaṃ śabdamayaṃ rūpaṃ vigrahaṃ vāhyamiṣyate
नेमि बाहेर व अवर-संधीच्या मधल्या अंतरात स्थित राहून, त्याला बाहेरच्या दिशेने फिरवावे; नंतर संधीच्या मध्यभागी स्थित होऊन अरमूळ (अराची मुळे) येथे फिरवावे. ज्यायोगे मंत्रजन्य फल मिळते असे मंत्रध्यान मी सांगतो. बाह्य विग्रह हा शब्दमय स्थूल रूप मानला आहे.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Internalize yantra dynamics through guided visualization (rotation at rim-junction and spoke-root) and understand mantra-dhyāna: external vigraha as gross śabda-maya form, supporting transition to subtler contemplation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Mantra-dhyāna: rotation in yantra-joints and śabda-maya vigraha doctrine","lookup_keywords":["nemi-sandhi bhramaṇa","ara-mūla bhramaṇa","mantra-dhyāna","mantrajam phalam","śabda-maya vigraha"],"quick_summary":"Meditate by visualizing controlled rotation at specific yantra loci (rim-junction and spoke-root junction); mantra yields fruit through dhyāna, where the external deity-form is understood as a gross embodiment constituted of sound, preparing deeper internalization."}
Concept: Śabda as ontic substance: the external form (vigraha) is a gross condensation of sound; mantra-dhyāna links phoneme, diagram, and embodied form.
Application: Use mantra visualization to move from external icon (sound-constituted form) to internal concentration: track attention along yantra loci (nemi/sandhi, ara-mūla) as a cognitive ‘path’ for steadiness.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-sadhana (Mantra-dhyana and internal ritual visualization)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditator visualizes a yantra: attention ‘rotates’ outward along the rim-junction and then at the spoke-root; behind the meditator appears a translucent deity-form made of syllables, illustrating the doctrine of śabda-maya vigraha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: seated sādhaka in meditation, a luminous yantra with highlighted nemi and sandhi points, swirling motion lines indicating bhramaṇa, a faint deity silhouette composed of Sanskrit syllables, warm lamp glow and earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central meditating figure with halo, gold-embossed yantra rim and spokes, translucent śabda-syllables forming a deity-vigraha in the background, rich reds/greens with heavy gold work emphasizing ‘sound-made form’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: didactic visualization—two panels showing (1) outward rotation at nemi-sandhi, (2) rotation at ara-mūla; fine inscriptions of syllables shaping a subtle vigraha; soft colors and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate interior with a yogic practitioner, a delicately drawn geometric yantra on the floor, swirling attention cues, and a pale calligraphic figure emerging from syllables; intricate borders and subdued elegance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nemāvarasandhyantare→nemi-āvara-sandhi-antare; bhrāmayedaramūlantu→bhrāmayet ara-mūlam tu; mantradhyānaṃ→mantra-dhyānam; syānmantrajaṃ→syāt mantra-jam; śabdamayaṃ→śabda-mayam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29.21–29.24 (yantra construction leading to dhyāna); Agni Purana stotra/mantra sections (sound, nyāsa, and dhyāna themes in broader corpus)
FAQs
It teaches a precise method of mantra-dhyāna using wheel-like visualization—rotating awareness/mantric movement outward and then at the spoke-root within specific ‘junction’ points—to generate mantra-born efficacy (mantraja phala).
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves practical ritual technology: subtle-body style spatial instructions, visualization mechanics, and a doctrinal note that the ‘external’ mantra-form is a gross embodiment made of sound—showing the text’s coverage of applied sādhanā alongside other sciences.
It frames mantra practice as a disciplined inner procedure that yields tangible ‘mantra-born’ results; correct dhyāna aligns sound (śabda) and form (rūpa), supporting purification, concentration, and the successful fruition of ritual intent.