Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 36

Chapter 93 — वास्तुपूजादिविधानम्

Procedure for Vāstu-worship and Related Rites

Devanagari script

चतुःषष्टिपदो ब्रह्मा मरीच्याद्याश् च देवताः चतुःपञ्चाशत्पदिका आपाद्यष्टौ रसाग्निभिः

Transliteration

catuḥṣaṣṭipado brahmā marīcyādyāś ca devatāḥ catuḥpañcāśatpadikā āpādyaṣṭau rasāgnibhiḥ

Translation

Metre (chandas) bernama Brahmā mempunyai enam puluh empat unit suku kata, demikian juga para dewa bermula dengan Marīci. Metre yang disebut Catuḥpañcāśat-padikā mempunyai lima puluh empat unit; dan kiraan itu disempurnakan dengan menambah lapan, melalui kod angka “rasa” dan “agni” (rasa = 6, agni = 3 sebagai rangka mnemonik).

Word by Word

• catuḥ-ṣaṣṭi-padaḥ: having sixty-four padas (64-squared)
• catuḥ-ṣaṣṭi-padaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥṣaṣṭi+pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• marīci-ādyāḥ: Marīci and others
• marīci-ādyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci+ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• devatāḥ: deities
• devatāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• catuḥ-pañcāśat-padikāḥ: (those) of fifty-four padas (54-squared)
• catuḥ-pañcāśat-padikāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catuḥpañcāśat+padikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास; विशेषण

• āpādya: having reached/amounting to
• āpādya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā+√pad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having obtained/adding up to'

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (numeral)

• rasa-agnibhiḥ: by rasas and fires (i.e., by 6 and 3)
• rasa-agnibhiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa+agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s encyclopedic teachings)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: catuḥṣaṣṭipado → catuḥ-ṣaṣṭi-padaḥ; marīcyādyāś → marīci-ādyāḥ; catuḥpañcāśatpadikā → catuḥ-pañcāśat-padikāḥ; āpādyaṣṭau → āpādya aṣṭau; rasāgnibhiḥ → rasa-agnibhiḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (metre-name)
• Marīci
• Devatāḥ (divine classes)
• Rasa (numeric code)
• Agni (numeric code / fire principle)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts chandas-vidyā: identifying specific metres by their syllabic/metrical unit counts (e.g., ‘Brahmā’ as 64-unit, ‘Catuḥpañcāśat-padikā’ as 54-unit) and using mnemonic numerical codes (rasa/agni) for counting.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Alongside ritual and dharma topics, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves technical śāstra material—here, Sanskrit prosody and mnemonic number-coding—showing its scope across linguistic sciences used for composing and transmitting mantras and poetry.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Correct chandas supports accurate recitation and composition; in traditional practice, metrical precision is treated as safeguarding mantra efficacy and preserving the integrity (śuddhi) of sacred transmission.