Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
Chapter 106 — नगरादिवास्तुः
Vāstu Concerning Towns and Related Settlements
हनमिति घ धर्मः कलिश्चेत्यादिः, मृतिर्धनमित्यन्तः पाठो झ पुस्तके नास्ति आयुः प्रावाह्यशस्यानीति ख , छ च भोगं च पत्यं चेति ख , छ च द्वारतः प्रोक्त इति घ भोजनार्धन्तदर्धं च इति घ , ङ च अभ्यर्च्य वास्तु नगरं प्राकाराद्यन्तु कारयेत् ईशादित्रिंशत्पदके पूर्वद्वारं च सूर्यके
hanamiti gha dharmaḥ kaliścetyādiḥ, mṛtirdhanamityantaḥ pāṭho jha pustake nāsti āyuḥ prāvāhyaśasyānīti kha , cha ca bhogaṃ ca patyaṃ ceti kha , cha ca dvārataḥ prokta iti gha bhojanārdhantadardhaṃ ca iti gha , ṅa ca abhyarcya vāstu nagaraṃ prākārādyantu kārayet īśāditriṃśatpadake pūrvadvāraṃ ca sūryake
“Hana” (demikian): dalam manuskrip Gha, bacaan bermula dengan “Dharma, Kali, dan seterusnya”; bacaan penutup “Mṛti, Dhana” tidak terdapat dalam manuskrip Jha. Dalam manuskrip Kha dan Cha juga ada varian “āyuḥ prāvāhyaśasyāni”; dan juga “bhogaṃ ca patyaṃ ca”. Dalam Gha terdapat bacaan “dvārataḥ proktaḥ”. Dalam Gha dan Ṅa juga ada “bhojanārdham tadardhaṃ ca”. Setelah memuja para dewa Vāstu, hendaklah didirikan sebuah kota beserta tembok keliling dan pertahanan lain. Dalam Vāstu-maṇḍala tiga puluh petak bermula dari Īśāna (timur laut), pintu gerbang timur hendaklah ditempatkan pada sektor Sūrya (suria).
Lord Agni (primary narrator of Agni Purana) instructing a sage (traditionally Vasiṣṭha); this particular line also contains later manuscript-critical notes by scribes/editors.
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Ritualized town-planning: perform Vāstu-pūjā, then lay out a fortified city on a 30-pada maṇḍala with the east gate aligned to the Sūrya sector for auspicious circulation and governance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nagara-nirmāṇa with Vāstu-pūjā and Sūrya-aligned Eastern Gate (30-pada maṇḍala)","lookup_keywords":["vāstu-maṇḍala","triṃśatpada","pūrvadvāra","sūrya-pada","prākāra"],"quick_summary":"Worship the Vāstu-deities before construction, build the city with ramparts, and place the eastern gate in the Sūrya sector of the 30-square maṇḍala for auspicious orientation."}
Concept: Built space should mirror cosmic order (dik, devatā, maṇḍala), and construction begins only after propitiation of presiding powers.
Application: Use devatā-pada mapping to decide gate placement and civic layout; begin projects with consecratory rites to reduce obstacles.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra (Town-planning and architectural mandalas)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fortified city plan drawn as a 30-pada Vāstu-maṇḍala, priests performing Vāstu-pūjā, and an eastern gate highlighted in the Sūrya sector with ramparts encircling the settlement.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat yet rich colors, Vāstu-pūjā scene with priests around a geometric maṇḍala diagram, fortified city walls and an emphasized eastern gate in the Sūrya sector, traditional ornaments, sacred ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on the maṇḍala border and deities of directions, patron and priests worshipping Vāstu-devatās, stylized fort walls and a prominent east gate marked as Sūrya-pada, ornate framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and instructional clarity, labeled 30-pada grid with Īśāna start, Sūrya sector highlighted, small vignettes of rampart and gate construction, calm ritual figures.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architectural precision, bird’s-eye view of a planned city with ramparts, surveyors and priests around a drawn grid, the eastern gate aligned to the sun sector, delicate detailing and subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Verse text contains extensive manuscript/edition notes; analyzable core pāda taken as: “abhyarcya vāstu nagaraṃ prākārādyantu kārayet īśāditriṃśatpadake pūrvadvāraṃ ca sūryake”. Sandhi: prākāra-ādi + tu; īśādi-triṃśat-padake; pūrva-dvāram.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vāstu-śāstra sections on maṇḍala-pada-devatā mapping; Agni Purana chapters on prākāra/durga-lakṣaṇa (fortification traits)
FAQs
It teaches Vāstu-śāstra procedure: worship the Vāstu principle first, then construct a fortified city, and place the eastern gate according to the Sūrya sector within a triṃśat-padaka (30-square) Vāstu-maṇḍala.
It shows the Agni Purana functioning as a practical technical manual—covering architectural grids, directional planning, and fortification—alongside preserving multiple manuscript readings, reflecting both applied science and textual tradition.
By prescribing abhyarcya (worship) before construction and aligning gates to auspicious directional sectors, the text frames urban planning as a dharmic act that harmonizes human habitation with cosmic order (dik and graha principles).