Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
पञ्चपत्राभिसिद्ध्यर्थं मत्स्यं कृत्वैवमब्जकम् व्योमरेखावहिः पीठन्तत्र कोष्टानि मार्जयेत् रजः पातं ततः कुर्याल्लिखिते मण्डले शृणु कर्णिका पीतवर्णा स्याद्रेखाः सर्वाः सिताः समाः
pañcapatrābhisiddhyarthaṃ matsyaṃ kṛtvaivamabjakam vyomarekhāvahiḥ pīṭhantatra koṣṭāni mārjayet rajaḥ pātaṃ tataḥ kuryāllikhite maṇḍale śṛṇu karṇikā pītavarṇā syādrekhāḥ sarvāḥ sitāḥ samāḥ
ਪੰਜ ਪੰਖੁੜੀਆਂ ਵਾਲੀ ਵਿਧੀ ਦੀ ਸਿੱਧੀ ਲਈ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮਤਸ੍ਯ-ਰੂਪ ਬਣਾਕੇ ਉਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਮਲ-ਆਲੇਖ ਤਿਆਰ ਕਰੇ। ‘ਵ੍ਯੋਮ-ਰੇਖਾ’ ਨਾਲ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹਿਤ ਪੀਠ ਉੱਤੇ ਬਣੇ ਕੋਸ਼ਠਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਫਿਰ ਸਾਫ਼ ਕਰਕੇ ਮਿਟੀ-ਧੂੜ ਹਟਾਏ। ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਬਣੇ ਮੰਡਲ ਉੱਤੇ ਰਜ (ਚੂਰਨ) ਛਿੜਕੇ—ਸੁਣੋ—ਕਰਨਿਕਾ ਪੀਲੇ ਰੰਗ ਦੀ ਹੋਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਰੇਖਾਵਾਂ ਸਮਾਨ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਚਿੱਟੀਆਂ ਹੋਣ।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual/maṇḍala procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Step-by-step lekhanā (drawing) and śodhana (cleaning) procedure for a five-petalled lotus maṇḍala, including color-coding (yellow karṇikā, white lines) and powder-sprinkling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pañcapattrābja-maṇḍala lekhanā: matsya-form, koṣṭa-śodhana, rajas-nyāsa, varṇa-niyama","lookup_keywords":["pañcapatra","maṇḍala-lekhana","vyo-ma-rekhā","koṣṭa","karṇikā-pīta"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes the order: draw matsya-form, construct lotus, clean the grid-compartments on the pīṭha marked by sky-lines, sprinkle powder, and apply fixed colors—yellow center and uniformly white lines."}
Concept: Outer purity and exact form (rekhā/varṇa) support inner siddhi; the maṇḍala is treated as a living support (ādhāra) requiring preparation and correct nyāsa.
Application: Maintain a standardized workflow (draw → clean → dust/sprinkle → color-code) to reduce ritual error and stabilize visualization.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Yantra-Mandala-Lekhana (Ritual diagram and lotus-maṇḍala construction)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner draws a fish-shaped motif first, then a five-petalled lotus diagram on a pedestal grid; compartments are wiped clean; powder is sprinkled; the center is painted yellow and the lines white.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, artisan-priest with palm-leaf stylus drawing a lotus on a pīṭha grid, assistants wiping compartments, white lines and yellow center emphasized, oil lamps, restrained palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on the lotus outline, bright yellow karṇikā, crisp white lines, ritual implements (powder bowl, cloth) rendered richly, ornate frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional clarity: stepwise depiction—matsya outline, then lotus, then cleaning, then powder sprinkling; fine shading and precise geometry","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier-like ritual scene with detailed tools, a neat grid on the floor, powder being sprinkled, subtle text cartouches indicating karṇikā yellow and lines white"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pañcapatrābhisiddhyarthaṃ→pañca-patra-abhisiddhi-artham; kṛtvā+evam+abjakam→kṛtvā evam abjakam; vyomarekhāvahiḥ→vyoma-rekhā-vahiḥ; kuryāl+likhite→kuryāt likhite; syād+rekhāḥ→syāt rekhāḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (mandala construction details: petals, doors, colors, yogapīṭha adornment)
FAQs
It gives a practical procedure for constructing and finishing a lotus-maṇḍala: draw the guiding form, mark the base with guiding lines, clean the compartments, sprinkle colouring powder, and apply prescribed colours (yellow centre, uniformly white lines).
Beyond mythology, it preserves hands-on liturgical technology—ritual diagrammatics (maṇḍala/yantra), surface preparation, sectioning (koṣṭa), and colour-coding—showing the text’s coverage of applied religious arts and temple/puja practice.
Correctly drawn and colour-consecrated maṇḍalas are treated as valid supports for invocation and worship; precision in layout and purity (cleaning, proper powders/colours) is understood to ensure efficacy (siddhi) and ritual purity (śuddhi).