Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 25
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
पूर्वे तत्पुरुषः श्वेतो अघोरो ऽष्टभुजो ऽसिताः चतुर्वाहुमुखः पीताः सद्योजातश् च पश्चिमे
pūrve tatpuruṣaḥ śveto aghoro 'ṣṭabhujo 'sitāḥ caturvāhumukhaḥ pītāḥ sadyojātaś ca paścime
ਪੂਰਬ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਤਤਪੁਰੁਸ਼ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਸ਼ਵੇਤ ਵਰਣ ਦਾ ਹੈ। ਅਘੋਰ ਕਾਲੇ-ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਭ ਵਾਲਾ ਅਤੇ ਅੱਠ ਭੁਜਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ। (ਉੱਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ) ਵਾਮਦੇਵ ਪੀਤ ਵਰਣ, ਚਾਰ ਭੁਜਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਤਦਨੁਰੂਪ ਮੁਖ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਪੱਛਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਦ੍ਯੋਜਾਤ ਸਥਿਤ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (narrating the Agni Purana’s ritual and iconographic instructions to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Pañcabrahma-mūrti placement by direction (dik) for pūjā, dhyāna, and temple/maṇḍala iconographic planning.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pañcabrahma Dik-varṇa-bāhu-vaktra (Tatpuruṣa–Aghora–Vāmadeva–Sadyojāta)","lookup_keywords":["Pañcabrahma","Tatpuruṣa east white","Aghora eight-armed dark","Vāmadeva north yellow","Sadyojāta west"],"quick_summary":"Assign the Śiva Pañcabrahma aspects to directions with specific colors and limb/face counts, enabling correct dik-nyāsa and iconographic visualization in ritual and image-making."}
Concept: Brahma-aspects of Śiva are accessed through ordered spatial placement (dik) and form-attributes (varṇa, bāhu, vaktra).
Application: Use in dhyāna and pūjā to stabilize visualization and ensure ritual correctness (yathā-nyāya).
Khanda Section: Isana-kalpa / Shiva-panchabrahma and deity-directional iconography (Puja-vidhi, Murti-lakshana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual maṇḍala with Śiva’s aspects stationed by direction: east Tatpuruṣa white; north Vāmadeva yellow four-armed; west Sadyojāta; Aghora dark and eight-armed, all oriented around a central sanctum axis.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, pañcabrahma dik-vinyāsa around a central liṅga, flat luminous colors, Tatpuruṣa white in east, Aghora dark aṣṭabhuja, Vāmadeva yellow caturbhuja, sacred directional bands and lotus motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Śiva with surrounding directional pañcabrahma panels, heavy gold leaf halos, jeweled ornaments, clear color-coding (white/dark/yellow), temple arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional diagram-like composition of dik placement, fine linework, soft washes, labeled directions, each aspect with specified arms/faces and hues.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly precision with a geometric maṇḍala floor plan, four directional deities rendered with distinct hues and arm counts, delicate borders and calligraphic direction labels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऽ = aḥ/a elision: aghoro 'ṣṭabhujaḥ = aghoraḥ aṣṭabhujaḥ; 'sitāḥ = asitāḥ. sadyojātaś ca = sadyojātaḥ ca (visarga before ca).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303 (Īśāna-kalpa: pañcabrahma/pañcavaktra sections)
FAQs
It gives the directional placement and iconographic identifiers (color and number of arms) for Śiva’s Pañcabrahma aspects—used in mandala arrangement, dhyāna (visualization), and nyāsa during Śaiva/Tantric-style worship.
Beyond myth, it preserves practical temple-and-ritual technology: deity taxonomy (Pañcabrahma), precise iconography (varna, bhujā), and spatial ritual mapping (dik-nyāsa), showing the Purana’s coverage of applied liturgy and image-science.
Correctly visualizing and installing the deity’s aspects by direction is held to stabilize worship, purify the practitioner’s body-mind through nyāsa, and align the rite with cosmic order (dik and tattva), enhancing the intended merit (puṇya) and efficacy (siddhi) of the pūjā.