Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 15
Chapter 246 — वास्तुलक्षणम्
Characteristics of Building-sites / Vāstu
दक्षे गृहक्षतः पुष्प आप्ये सुग्रीव उत्तमः पुष्पदन्तो ह्य् उदग्द्वारि भल्लाटः पुष्पदन्तकः
dakṣe gṛhakṣataḥ puṣpa āpye sugrīva uttamaḥ puṣpadanto hy udagdvāri bhallāṭaḥ puṣpadantakaḥ
Di sebelah kanan ialah Gṛhakṣata; di penjuru berunsur air ialah Puṣpa; di penjuru Agni (tenggara) ialah Sugrīva; di bahagian atas ialah Uttama; di pintu utara ialah Puṣpadanta; dan turut terkait Bhallāṭa serta Puṣpadantaka sebagai kehadiran/penjaga.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Dvāra-vāstu: assigning specific presences/guardians to right side, water quarter, Agni quarter, upper region, and especially the northern doorway—used during door installation, house-entry rites, and protective threshold worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dvāra-vāstu placements: Gṛhakṣata (right), Puṣpa (Āpya), Sugrīva (Agni), Uttama (upper), Puṣpadanta at north door; Bhallāṭa/Puṣpadantaka","lookup_keywords":["dvara-vastu","north-door-pushpadanta","agneya-sugriva","grihakshata","apya-pushpa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a practical placement list for door/threshold guardians and adjacent directional presences. Use it as a checklist during dvāra-pratiṣṭhā and vāstu-pūjā to secure auspicious entry points."}
Concept: Ritual order at boundaries (doors) safeguards the interior life of the household/temple; names encode functional protections.
Application: During door installation: invoke/remember assigned guardians, perform lamp-offering and prokṣaṇa at the north door, and maintain cleanliness and unobstructed entry to preserve auspicious flow.
Khanda Section: Vastu / Dvara-Vastu (Directional and threshold-ritual prescriptions; auspicious markers and guardians of gates)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Architectural-point
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A northern doorway being consecrated: Puṣpadanta stationed at the lintel, other presences marked around (Gṛhakṣata to the right, Puṣpa in water quarter, Sugrīva in Agni quarter, Uttama above), with a priest performing dvāra-pūjā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple doorway scene with priest offering lamp and water, guardian figure Puṣpadanta at the north door, compass-like floor markings showing Āpya and Agni quarters, inscriptions for Gṛhakṣata and Uttama, warm lamp glow","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly ornamented north doorway with gold-leaf arch, Puṣpadanta as jeweled guardian, priest with ārati, small corner medallions for Puṣpa (water) and Sugrīva (Agni), heavy gold borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, technical illustration: doorway elevation with labeled positions (right side, north door, upper region), small guardian icons, clean lines and soft shading, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, domestic doorway consecration with artisans and priest, subtle guardian figures indicated near the lintel and sides, annotated compass directions, delicate palette and calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुष्पदन्तो ह्य् = पुष्पदन्तः + हि; उदग्द्वारि = उदक्/उदग् + द्वारि (सप्तमी एकवचन of द्वार).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 246 (dvāra-devatā and dik-nyāsa sequences)
FAQs
It lists specific named presences/guardians assigned to particular directions and especially the northern doorway—used in Vāstu planning and door-threshold ritual placement for protection and auspiciousness.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs applied knowledge like Vāstu: directional mapping, door-layout principles, and the ritual taxonomy of protective beings tied to architectural elements.
Correctly aligning and ritually acknowledging doorway guardians is treated as a protective purification measure—supporting household/temple well-being and averting inauspicious influences at entry points.