Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 19
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
स्वाङ्गान्मन्त्रैर् न्यसेद्गात्राण्यधर्मादीनि दिक्षु च तत्र पद्मञ्च सुर्यादिमण्डले त्रितयं गुणान्
svāṅgānmantrair nyasedgātrāṇyadharmādīni dikṣu ca tatra padmañca suryādimaṇḍale tritayaṃ guṇān
मंत्रांनी स्वतःच्या अंगांवर न्यास करावा; तसेच अधर्म इत्यादी (दोष-तत्त्वे) दिशांमध्येही स्थापावीत. तेथे पद्माचा आणि सूर्यादी मंडलांत गुणत्रयाचाही विन्यास करावा.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Nyāsa expands from body to directional mandala: install mantras on limbs, place adharma etc. in directions, establish lotus, then install guṇas within solar and other mandalas for complete ritual cosmos.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Directional Nyāsa: Adharma in Dik, Lotus and Guṇa-traya in Mandalas","lookup_keywords":["dik-nyāsa","adharma","padma","sūrya-maṇḍala","guṇa-traya"],"quick_summary":"After bodily nyāsa, externalize the mandala by assigning negative principles to directions, establishing a lotus-base, and installing sattva-rajas-tamas within solar and related mandalas."}
Concept: Ritual maps metaphysics onto space: guṇa-traya and dharma/adharma principles are positioned within a mandalic cosmos, making worship a microcosmic re-ordering of reality.
Application: When performing mandala-pūjā, consciously assign directions and mandalas to ethical/metaphysical categories, using mantra to ‘contain’ and transform disorder (adharma) into a governed field.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa, Mandala, and Tantric-style ritual installation)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual mandala around the practitioner: directions marked with installed principles (adharma etc.), a central lotus, and concentric solar and other mandalas containing the three guṇas as colored energies.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top-down mandala view: central padma, surrounding concentric circles labeled sūrya-maṇḍala and others, corners/directions holding dark symbolic forms for adharma, vivid flat colors and temple geometry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate mandala with gold-leaf lotus center, radiant sun-disc, three guṇas as three jewel-like forms within circles, rich reds and greens, symmetrical sacred diagram aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear diagrammatic mandala with directional markers, lotus center, sun mandala, and three guṇa icons; fine lines, readable structure, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, delicate geometric mandala on a carpet-like ground, sun disc rendered with fine rays, three guṇas as colored medallions, directional cartouches holding adharma symbols."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Malkauns","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: svāṅgānmantraiḥ → sva-aṅgāt + mantraiḥ; nyasedgātrāṇi → nyaset + gātrāṇi; adharmādīni → adharma + ādīni; padmañca → padmam + ca; suryādimaṇḍale → sūrya + ādi + maṇḍale.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303.15-303.18 (nyāsa preliminaries and internal installation)
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa (mantra-assignment) on the practitioner’s limbs and a mandala-based visualization: placing certain principles in the directions, establishing a lotus-seat, and installing the three guṇas within solar and related mandalas.
It shows the text functioning as a ritual manual: combining mantra-nyāsa, directional mapping, mandala architecture, and Sāṃkhya-style guṇa doctrine—integrating liturgy, cosmology, and philosophy into a single procedural instruction.
By ritually assigning and relegating adharma-related forces to controlled directions and installing guṇas within a sanctified mandala, the practitioner symbolically purifies the body-mind field and stabilizes worship in an ordered cosmic framework.