Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 18
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
व्यापकं न्यस्य मूर्धादि मूलमङ्गानि विन्यसेत् रक्तपीतश्यामसितान् पीठपादान् स्वकालजान्
vyāpakaṃ nyasya mūrdhādi mūlamaṅgāni vinyaset raktapītaśyāmasitān pīṭhapādān svakālajān
ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਵਿਆਪਕ (ਵਿਆਪਕ-ਮੰਤਰ/ਤੱਤ੍ਵ) ਦਾ ਨਿਆਸ ਕਰੇ; ਫਿਰ ਮੂੜ੍ਹਾ ਆਦਿ ਤੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੂਲ-ਅੰਗਾਂ ਦਾ ਵਿਨਿਆਸ ਕਰੇ। ਅਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ-ਆਪਣੇ ਕਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਲਾਲ, ਪੀਲੇ, ਸ਼ਿਆਮ/ਕਾਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਚਿੱਟੇ ਪੀਠਾਂ ਤੇ ਪਾਦਾਂ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਨਿਆਸ ਕਰੇ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Perform vyāpaka-nyāsa (all-pervading principle) first, then mūla-aṅga nyāsa from head onward; install pīṭhas/pādas with specified colors and time-phases (kāla) as per the system.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vyāpaka-nyāsa, Mūla-aṅga-nyāsa, and Kāla-based Pīṭha/Pāda Installation","lookup_keywords":["vyāpaka-nyāsa","mūla-aṅga","pīṭha","pāda","kāla"],"quick_summary":"Begin with the all-pervading installation, then place root-limbs from the head; next install pīṭhas and pādas with color-coding and their prescribed temporal order."}
Concept: Ritual embodiment proceeds from the universal (vyāpaka) to the particular (mūla-aṅgas), integrating spatial loci (pīṭha/pāda) with temporal regulation (kāla).
Application: In advanced nyāsa, maintain hierarchy: pervasion first, then limb-roots, then seat/footing stations aligned to the rite’s time-cycle.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra (Nyasa and internal installation of deities in the body)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditator visualizes an all-pervading field of light enveloping the body, then sequentially lights up head and other root-limbs; around the body appear colored pīṭha/pāda stations emerging in timed phases.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, seated sādhaka with a large luminous aura (vyāpaka), body marked with glowing points from head downward, surrounding ring of four colored stations (rakta, pīta, śyāma, sita) with rhythmic motif suggesting time-cycle.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central figure with expansive gold halo for vyāpaka, ornate lotus pedestal, four colored pīṭha/pāda emblems around, gold embossing emphasizing pervasion.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional depiction of sequence: pervading aura layer, then numbered limb points, then colored station icons; soft background and precise detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined aura wash around the figure, delicate colored cartouches representing pīṭhas/pādas, subtle clock-like border indicating kāla order."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mūlamaṅgāni → mūla + aṅgāni.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303.16 (color mapping); Agni Purana 303.19 (mandala and guṇa installation)
FAQs
It teaches nyāsa: first installing the Vyāpaka (all-pervading) mantra/principle, then placing mantric stations on the body from the head through the root-limbs, and finally installing the pīṭhas and pādas with color-coded assignments tied to prescribed ritual timing (kāla).
It preserves a precise, procedure-oriented tantric/ritual technology—mapping sacred centers (pīṭhas) and quarters/sections (pādas) onto the practitioner’s body—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s coverage beyond mythology into applied liturgy and mantra-practice.
By orderly nyāsa aligned with proper time (kāla), the practitioner ritually purifies and sacralizes the body as a mandala, supporting focused worship, inner steadiness, and the merit associated with correctly performed mantra-vidhi.