Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 5
Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-Syllabled
Mantra) — Concluding Colophon (Chapter 304 end
शालग्रामे महायोगं हरिं गोबर्धनाचले पिण्डारके चतुर्वाहुं शङ्खोद्धारे च शङ्खिनम्
śālagrāme mahāyogaṃ hariṃ gobardhanācale piṇḍārake caturvāhuṃ śaṅkhoddhāre ca śaṅkhinam
ਸ਼ਾਲਗ੍ਰਾਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਹਾਯੋਗੀ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਧਿਆਓ, ਗੋਵਰਧਨ ਪਹਾੜ ਉੱਤੇ ਹਰੀ ਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਕਰੋ; ਪਿੰਡਾਰਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਚਤੁਰਭੁਜ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ੰਖੋੱਧਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ੰਖਧਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੂੰ।
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage contemplation and icon-focused remembrance: visualize Hari with the attribute emphasized by the site (yogin, four-armed, conch-bearing) during darshana and japa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kshetra-wise Hari Forms (Śālagrāma–Govardhana–Piṇḍāraka–Śaṅkhoddhāra)","lookup_keywords":["Shalagrama","Govardhana","Pindaraka","Shankhoddhara","Chaturvahu"],"quick_summary":"Associates major tirthas with specific contemplative forms of Hari—Mahāyogin, the four-armed form, and the conch-bearing Lord—serving as a practical guide for dhyāna during yatra."}
Concept: One deity, many upāsanā-doors: form/attribute selection stabilizes mind in dhyāna and integrates local sacred geography into practice.
Application: At each site, perform dhyāna matching the epithet (Mahāyogin/Chaturvāhu/Śaṅkhin) before offering; use the epithet in mantra-japa and archana.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Vishnu-Kshetra-Stotra / Sacred-site identifications of Hari)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Four-panel sacred geography: Śālagrāma river stones on a shrine with a meditating Mahāyogin aura; Govardhana hill with devotees; Piṇḍāraka shrine with four-armed Vishnu; Śaṅkhoddhāra with Vishnu prominently holding a conch.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, segmented narrative panels; Śālagrāma stones with ritual vessels; Govardhana hill in stylized greens; Vishnu in caturbhuja form; emphasize śaṅkha in Śaṅkhoddhāra panel; ornate floral borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold-work: central caturbhuja Vishnu with embossed jewelry; smaller medallions for Śālagrāma and Govardhana; highlight conch with bright white and gold; temple arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean didactic composition: labeled panels with each tirtha and corresponding form; fine facial features, soft palette; clear depiction of śaṅkha and four arms.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature landscape: Govardhana hill with detailed trees and pilgrims; riverbank Śālagrāma worship; shrines rendered with architectural precision; Vishnu forms appearing as subtle divine visions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Related Themes: Agni Purana 304 (continuation of kshetra-wise identifications)
FAQs
It teaches kṣetra-wise dhyāna/saṅkalpa: meditating on Vishnu in specific iconographic aspects tied to particular tīrthas—Mahāyogin at Śālagrāma, Caturvāhu at Piṇḍāraka, and Śaṅkhin (conch-bearing) at Śaṅkhoddhāra—useful for pilgrimage worship and site-specific pūjā.
By cataloging sacred geography (tīrthas) together with precise theological/iconographic identifiers of Hari, it functions like a reference index for pilgrimage, temple practice, and devotional visualization—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark ‘compendium’ modes.
Kṣetra-specific remembrance and worship of Vishnu is presented as a purifying, merit-producing practice: aligning one’s devotion with renowned holy places and established forms of Hari is traditionally held to intensify puṇya and support liberation-oriented devotion (bhakti) and inner steadiness (yoga).