Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 13
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
त्रीणि कोणेषु पादार्थं द्विद्विकान्यपराणि तु चतुर्दिक्षु विलिप्तानि गात्रकाणि भवन्त्युत द्विहस्ते ऽङ्गुष्टमात्राः स्युर्हस्ते चार्धसमाः सिताः पद्मं शुक्लेन सन्धींस्तु कृष्णेन श्यामतोथवा
trīṇi koṇeṣu pādārthaṃ dvidvikānyaparāṇi tu caturdikṣu viliptāni gātrakāṇi bhavantyuta dvihaste 'ṅguṣṭamātrāḥ syurhaste cārdhasamāḥ sitāḥ padmaṃ śuklena sandhīṃstu kṛṣṇena śyāmatothavā
Nos três cantos, desenhem-se as marcas destinadas aos pés; as demais marcas devem ser feitas em pares. Untadas/pintadas nas quatro direções, produzem-se também as partes subsidiárias, como membros. Para uma figura de duas mãos, devem ter a medida de um polegar; para uma (única) mão, metade disso, e brancas. O lótus deve ser representado em branco; suas linhas de junção (costuras) em preto, ou então em azul-escuro.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Iconographic/diagrammatic painting rules for corner foot-marks, paired marks, directional limb-like elements, proportional measures for hands, and color conventions for lotus and seams.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Maṇḍala-aṅga-vinyāsa: corner foot-marks, hand-measures, and lotus seam coloring","lookup_keywords":["pāda-cihna","aṅga-vinyāsa","aṅguṣṭha-mātra","padma-varṇa","sandhi-rekhā"],"quick_summary":"Gives placement (three corners for feet, paired marks elsewhere, four-direction limb-parts), proportion (thumb-measure for two-handed figure; half for single hand), and color rules (white lotus; seams black or dark-blue)."}
Concept: Form-discipline (māna) and color-discipline (varṇa) are themselves ritual correctness; the diagram’s ‘body’ is constructed through measured limbs and marked junctions.
Application: Use consistent units (thumb-measure) and high-contrast seam lines to keep the maṇḍala legible for visualization and invocation.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Murti-Lakshana (Iconography and ritual painting instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-maṇḍala with marked corners: three corners show foot symbols; paired marks elsewhere; small limb-like strokes in four directions; hands measured by thumb-unit; lotus painted white with black/dark-blue seam lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, bold white lotus on dark ground, black seam lines, corner foot-marks stylized, four-direction limb motifs, priest indicating thumb-measure with fingers, temple-lamp ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, white lotus with raised gold outline, seams in deep black-blue, corner symbols rendered ornamentally, rich reds in border, devotional craft emphasis","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic clarity: annotated hand-measure using a thumb unit, neat corner foot-marks, clean white fills and dark seam lines, instructional layout","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, close-up of an artist painting seam lines on a white lotus, corner symbols carefully inked, palette with indigo and lampblack visible, refined detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dvidvikānyaparāṇi→dvi-dvikāni aparāṇi; caturdikṣu→catur-dikṣu; bhavantyuta→bhavanti uta; dvihaste 'ṅguṣṭamātrāḥ→dvi-haste aṅguṣṭa-mātrāḥ; syurhaste→syuḥ haste; cārdhasamāḥ→ca ardha-samāḥ; sandhīṃstu→sandhīn tu; śyāmatothavā→śyāmatā atha vā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (color prescriptions and directional layout in adjacent verses)
FAQs
It teaches precise iconographic/mandala-painting specifications: placement of corner foot-markers, paired subsidiary elements in the four directions, proportional measures (thumb-unit), and prescribed colors for the lotus and its junction-lines.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical temple-arts knowledge—diagram construction, proportional measurement (māna), and pigment/color conventions—showing the Purana’s coverage of ritual technology and sacred design.
Correct proportion and color in sacred diagrams is treated as essential for ritual efficacy; accuracy supports purity (śuddhi) and the intended devotional/propitiatory result of the worship performed with the lotus-maṇḍala.