Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 14
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
ततः पङ्क्तिद्वयं दिक्षु वीठ्यर्थन्तु विलोपयेत् द्वाराण्याशासु कुर्वीत चत्वारि चतसृष्वपि केशरा रक्तपीताः स्युः कोणान् रक्तेन पूरयेत् भूषयेद्योगपीठन्तु यथेष्टं सार्ववर्णिकैः
tataḥ paṅktidvayaṃ dikṣu vīṭhyarthantu vilopayet dvārāṇyāśāsu kurvīta catvāri catasṛṣvapi keśarā raktapītāḥ syuḥ koṇān raktena pūrayet bhūṣayedyogapīṭhantu yatheṣṭaṃ sārvavarṇikaiḥ
Depois, nas direções cardeais, apague-se um par de linhas para formar as passagens (vīthi). Façam-se quatro portas nas quatro direções. Os filamentos (keśara) devem ser vermelhos e amarelos; os cantos devem ser preenchidos com vermelho. Adorne-se o yogapīṭha como se desejar, com pigmentos de todas as cores.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Layout editing of the maṇḍala/architectural plan: creating passages by removing lines, placing four doors, and applying prescribed colors to filaments and corners; ornamenting the yogapīṭha with polychrome pigments.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vīthi and dvāra formation in yogapīṭha-maṇḍala with varṇa-vinyāsa","lookup_keywords":["vīthi","dvāra","yogapīṭha","keśara","raktapīta"],"quick_summary":"Instructs how to open passages by erasing paired lines in cardinal directions, establish four doors, color the lotus filaments red/yellow, fill corners with red, and ornament the yogapīṭha with any desired colors."}
Concept: Sacred space is engineered: directionality (dik), access (dvāra), and movement (vīthi) are ritualized; color becomes a functional marker of power-zones (corners/filaments).
Application: When drawing or laying out a worship-space, ensure clear directional doors and passages; use consistent color coding to prevent placement mistakes during pūjā.
Khanda Section: Vāstu & Maṇḍala-vidhi (Temple/yantra layout and ritual design)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A square/lotus maṇḍala-plan where two lines are removed in each direction to create corridors, four doors are opened, filaments are painted red and yellow, corners filled red, and the yogapīṭha is ornamented with many colors.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symmetrical mandala with four doors, corridors clearly opened, red corners and red-yellow filaments, priest applying pigments, strong directional geometry","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate four-door yogapīṭha mandala with gold highlights on door frames, vivid red corners, red-yellow keśara, jewel-like multicolor adornment","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, architectural-plan clarity: vīthi corridors shown by erased lines, four dvāras marked, color legend implied (red corners, red/yellow filaments), clean instructional composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, interior ritual setting with a large painted plan on the floor, artisans opening door-gaps in the design, bowls of red and yellow pigment, delicate detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vīṭhyarthantu→vīthi-artham tu; dvārāṇyāśāsu→dvārāṇi āśāsu; catasṛṣvapi→catasṛṣu api; bhūṣayedyogapīṭhantu→bhūṣayet yoga-pīṭham tu; yathēṣṭaṃ→yathā-iṣṭam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (mandala doors, passages, and color prescriptions continue into 29.15)
FAQs
It gives precise maṇḍala/yogapīṭha layout rules: remove two lines to create vīthi (passages), place four doors in the four directions, and apply prescribed colour-coding (red/yellow filaments; corners filled with red) before multi-colour ornamentation.
Beyond mythic narrative, it preserves applied ritual-technical knowledge—diagram geometry, directional planning, and colour prescriptions—typical of Vāstu/yantra manuals embedded within the Purāṇa’s wide-ranging compendium.
Correct directional doors, pathways, and colour placement are treated as necessary for a ritually valid seat/diagram, supporting orderly invocation and purification by aligning the worship-space with sacred directional and symbolic correspondences.