Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 22
Chapter 290 — गजशान्तिः
Gaja-śānti: Elephant-Pacification Rite
शालास्वसौ स्थण्डिले ऽब्जे दिकपालादीन् यजेद्वहिः केशरेषु बलं नागं भुवञ्चैच सरस्वतीं
śālāsvasau sthaṇḍile 'bje dikapālādīn yajedvahiḥ keśareṣu balaṃ nāgaṃ bhuvañcaica sarasvatīṃ
Na área ritual, sobre o maṇḍala de lótus, deve-se adorar os Dikpālas (guardiões das direções) e os demais; e, do lado de fora, sobre os filamentos/pétalas, deve-se adorar Bala, Nāga, Bhuva e igualmente Sarasvatī.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narration to a sage interlocutor, commonly Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Constructing and executing lotus-maṇḍala worship with directional deities (Dikpālas) and peripheral deities placed on petals/filaments; guides spatial nyāsa and offering placement.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Padma-maṇḍala Dikpāla-pūjā and Keśara-devatā placement (Bala, Nāga, Bhuva, Sarasvatī)","lookup_keywords":["padma-maṇḍala","dikpāla-pūjā","nyāsa","keśara-devatā","saravatī"],"quick_summary":"Worship the Dikpālas on the lotus-maṇḍala within the ritual area; place specific subsidiary deities on the outer filaments/petals, preserving correct spatial hierarchy in the rite."}
Concept: Cosmic order is mirrored through directional guardians and graded placement of deities in a mandalic space.
Application: Use correct spatial mapping (dik/antara-dik and periphery) to stabilize ritual intention and protective coverage.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mandala / Padma-puja and Dikpala-nyasa style worship)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual ground with a drawn lotus-maṇḍala: Dikpālas worshipped in the lotus arrangement; on the outer filaments/petals are placed offerings to Bala, Nāga, Bhuva, and Sarasvatī.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: top-down lotus-maṇḍala on a ritual floor, priests placing flowers and lamps at cardinal points for Dikpālas, outer petal stations labeled for Bala, Nāga, Bhuva, Sarasvatī; warm earthy palette, stylized geometry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate lotus-maṇḍala with gold highlights, small deity emblems at directions, Sarasvatī symbol (vīṇā) on an outer petal, rich decorative borders and auspicious motifs.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional diagram-like painting—clean lotus grid, clear directional markers, priests performing offerings at specified petals/filaments; fine lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: indoor ritual pavilion with a lotus diagram on the floor, attendants holding trays of flowers/incense, subtle inscriptions for directional deities, detailed textiles and vessels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śālāsvasau = śālās(u) + asau; 'bje = abje (a- elision after avagraha); dikapālādīn = dikapāla + ādīn; yajedvahiḥ = yajet + vahiḥ; bhuvañcaica = bhuvam + ca + eva (orthographic variant 'caica').
Related Themes: Agni Purana 290 (pūjā-vidhi sequence around gaja-śānti context)
FAQs
It gives a placement-based worship instruction: in a lotus-maṇḍala on the ritual ground, worship the Dikpālas in the central scheme, and place specific attendant powers (Bala, Nāga, Bhuva, Sarasvatī) on the outer/petal-filament positions.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual engineering—diagrammatic deity-allocation (maṇḍala/nyāsa logic), showing it functions as a manual for temple/household worship procedures alongside its many other disciplines.
Correctly situating deities in the maṇḍala is held to harmonize directional forces and invoke protective and auspicious powers, supporting purification and the successful fruition (siddhi) of the rite.