Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 1
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
इत्य् आदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये आचार्याभिषेको नाम अष्टाविंशो ऽध्यायः अथ ऊनत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनं नारद उवाच साधकः साधयेन्मन्त्रं देवतायतनादिके शुद्धभूमौ गृहे प्रार्च्य मण्डले हरिमीश्वरं आग्नेयेब्जे च प्रकृतिं याम्येब्जे पुरुषं यजेत्
ity ādimahāpurāṇe āgneye ācāryābhiṣeko nāma aṣṭāviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ atha ūnatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sarvatobhadramaṇḍalakathanaṃ nārada uvāca sādhakaḥ sādhayenmantraṃ devatāyatanādike śuddhabhūmau gṛhe prārcya maṇḍale harimīśvaraṃ āgneyebje ca prakṛtiṃ yāmyebje puruṣaṃ yajet
ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਦਿ ਮਹਾਪੁਰਾਣ ‘ਅਗਨੀ ਪੁਰਾਣ’ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਆਚਾਰ੍ਯ ਅਭਿਸੇਕ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਅਠਾਈਵਾਂ ਅਧਿਆਇ ਸਮਾਪਤ ਹੋਇਆ। ਹੁਣ ‘ਸਰਵਤੋਭਦ੍ਰ ਮੰਡਲ ਕਥਨ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਉਨੱਤੀਵਾਂ ਅਧਿਆਇ ਆਰੰਭ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਨਾਰਦ ਜੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਸਾਧਕ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਭੂਮੀ ਉੱਤੇ, ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਂ ਦੇਵਾਲਯ ਆਦਿ ਥਾਵਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ-ਸਾਧਨਾ ਕਰੇ; ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੰਡਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਈਸ਼ਵਰ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਰਚੇ। ਆਗਨੇਯ ਪਦਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਕ੍ਰਿਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਯਾਮ੍ਯ ਪਦਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰੇ।
Nārada
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Sarvatobhadra-maṇḍala pūjā: directional lotus-placements for devatā-nyāsa and mantra-siddhi in a purified ritual space (home or shrine).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sarvatobhadra-maṇḍala: Devatā-sthāpana (Hari–Prakṛti–Puruṣa)","lookup_keywords":["Sarvatobhadra","maṇḍala","Hari","Prakṛti","Puruṣa"],"quick_summary":"For mantra-sādhana, prepare a śuddha-bhūmi and worship Hari at the center; place Prakṛti in the Āgneya-lotus and Puruṣa in the Yāmya-lotus as part of the mandala’s directional nyāsa."}
Concept: Mantra-siddhi depends on śuddhi (purified locus) and correct devatā-nyāsa; Prakṛti–Puruṣa polarity is ritually mapped into directions.
Application: Before japa/homa, establish a consecrated mandala and place deities by direction to stabilize attention and invoke the intended tattva-shakti.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi & Yantra-Mantra Tantra (Mandala-vidhi / Sarvatobhadra-maṇḍala)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka in a purified room/shrine draws a lotus-maṇḍala; Hari is worshipped at the center, with Prakṛti placed in the southeast lotus and Puruṣa in the south lotus.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, interior shrine space, saffron-clad sādhaka drawing a lotus mandala on the floor with rice powder, central Hari as Īśvara in calm posture, labeled southeast lotus with Prakṛti and south lotus with Puruṣa, rich earthy pigments, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Hari enthroned with gold foil halo, stylized lotus mandala beneath, small directional lotuses showing Prakṛti (śakti form) in Āgneya and Puruṣa in Yāmya, heavy ornamentation, deep reds and greens, embossed gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional diagram aesthetic: clean lotus-maṇḍala with directional labels, sādhaka kneeling with stylus, subtle shading, emphasis on geometry and placement of Hari/Prakṛti/Puruṣa","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed indoor ritual scene with patterned carpets replaced by mandala grid, sādhaka performing pūjā, central Hari icon, marginal notes indicating Āgneya and Yāmya placements, fine linework and delicate colors"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity ādi-…: 'ity' = iti; 'aṣṭāviṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ' = aṣṭāviṃśaḥ adhyāyaḥ; 'ūnatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ' = ūnatriṃśaḥ adhyāyaḥ; 'sādhayenmantram' = sādhayet mantram; 'harimīśvaram' = harim īśvaram; 'āgneyebje' = āgneye abje; 'yāmyebje' = yāmye abje.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 28 (Ācāryābhiṣeka); Agni Purana 29 (Sarvatobhadra-maṇḍala-vidhi, subsequent verses on koṣṭha/padma-vinyāsa and bhūta-śuddhi)
FAQs
It teaches the practical setup for mantra-sādhana using a Sarvatobhadra maṇḍala: choose a purified site (home/temple), perform preliminary worship, then install and worship specific deities in directionally assigned lotus-seats—Hari/Īśvara centrally, with Prakṛti in the Āgneya lotus and Puruṣa in the Yāmya lotus.
It preserves a technical ritual manual style—mandala geometry, directional deity-placement, and procedural pūjā steps—showing how the Agni Purāṇa functions as a compendium of applied religious technologies (mantra, yantra/maṇḍala, temple practice) alongside narrative material.
By insisting on a purified place, preliminary worship, and correct directional placement of Prakṛti–Puruṣa while worshipping Hari as Īśvara, the rite is framed as a disciplined, purity-based approach to mantra accomplishment (siddhi), aligning the practitioner with cosmic order and reducing ritual fault (doṣa).