Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 7
Trailokya-mohinī Śrī-Lakṣmī-ādi-pūjā and Durgā-yoga
Protective and Siddhi Rites
उर्ध्वीकृतेन हस्तेन रक्तपङ्कजधारिणीं श्वेताङ्गीं दक्षिणे द्वारि चिन्तयेद्वनमालिनीम्
urdhvīkṛtena hastena raktapaṅkajadhāriṇīṃ śvetāṅgīṃ dakṣiṇe dvāri cintayedvanamālinīm
ਹੱਥ ਉੱਪਰ ਉਠਾਇਆ ਹੋਇਆ, ਲਾਲ ਕਮਲ ਧਾਰਣ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ, ਗੋਰੀ ਅੰਗਾਂ ਵਾਲੀ, ਵਨਮਾਲਾ ਨਾਲ ਸੁਸ਼ੋਭਿਤ ਦੇਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਦੱਖਣੀ ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ੇ ਉੱਤੇ ਸਥਿਤ ਸਮਝ ਕੇ ਧਿਆਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana narrative frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Directional doorway visualization (southern door) of a specific goddess-form with raised hand, red lotus, fair limbs, and forest garland for protective/auspicious mandala-nyāsa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Dakṣiṇa-dvāra devī-dhyāna: śvetāṅgī vanamālinī with ūrdhva-hasta and rakta-padma","lookup_keywords":["dakṣiṇa-dvāra","dvāra-devatā","rakta-padma","vanamālinī","ūrdhva-hasta"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes a south-door visualization: a fair-limbed, forest-garlanded goddess holding a red lotus with an upraised hand—used for directional protection and auspicious enclosure in worship."}
Concept: Sacred space is ‘sealed’ through directional deities; visualization assigns qualities (color, lotus, garland) to stabilize protective intent.
Application: In pūjā, map deities to directions/doors consistently to support focus, boundary-setting, and ritual completeness.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dvara-devata / Mandala-nyasa and protective visualizations)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the southern doorway stands a fair-limbed goddess with a forest garland, holding a red lotus, one hand raised in a protective/benedictory gesture, guarding the entrance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, south doorway marked with directional motifs; fair goddess vanamālinī holding red lotus, raised hand, bold contours, warm background, protective calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate southern door arch with gold work; fair goddess with heavy jewelry and vanamālā, red lotus vivid, raised hand, lamps and auspicious symbols.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, iconographic plate: goddess at dakṣiṇa-dvāra, emphasis on gesture and attribute (rakta-padma), clean composition suitable for ritual instruction.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, palace-like doorway facing south; fair goddess with garland and red lotus, raised hand, intricate floral borders, refined color palette and architectural detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Śānti","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उर्ध्वीकृतेन=ऊर्ध्वी-कृतेन; रक्तपङ्कजधारिणीं=रक्त-पङ्कज-धारिणीम्; श्वेताङ्गीं=श्वेत-अङ्गीम्; चिन्तयेद्वनमालिनीम्=चिन्तयेत् वन-मालिनीम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa mandala-nyāsa/dvāra-devatā placements around the same Lakṣmī-upāsanā sequence
FAQs
It teaches a specific dvara-devata-dhyana: the practitioner performs a raised-hand gesture and mentally installs/visualizes a white-bodied, forest-garlanded goddess holding a red lotus at the southern doorway as part of protective temple or shrine worship.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves precise liturgical micro-instructions—directional placement, iconographic attributes (lotus, garland, complexion), and gesture—showing its coverage of practical temple ritual and vastu-aligned worship procedures.
Such doorway visualizations are intended to sanctify thresholds, invoke auspicious protection, and remove ritual obstacles (vighna), thereby supporting purity, successful worship, and merit through correct devotional installation (nyasa/dhyana).