Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 40
Chapter 291 — Śāntyāyurveda
Ayurveda for Pacificatory Rites): Go-śānti, Penance-Regimens, and Therapeutics (incl. Veterinary Care
स्थण्डिलेब्जे मध्यगते दिक्षु केशरगान् सुरान् सुभद्राजो रविः पूज्यो बहुरूपो बलिर्वहिः
sthaṇḍilebje madhyagate dikṣu keśaragān surān subhadrājo raviḥ pūjyo bahurūpo balirvahiḥ
No lótus (diagrama) traçado no solo ritual, com (a divindade) colocada no centro, devem-se dispor os deuses sobre os filamentos nas direções. O Sol (Ravi), chamado Subhadrāja, deve ser venerado—de múltiplas formas—junto com a oferenda bali levada ao rito.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s primary narration to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Mandala-based worship: draw a lotus on the ritual ground, place the main deity in the center, assign directional deities on petals/filaments, and offer bali outside.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sūrya-padma-maṇḍala: central placement, dik-keśara devatā-nyāsa, and bahiḥ-bali","lookup_keywords":["padma-maṇḍala","sthaṇḍila","dik-devatā","nyāsa","Ravi Subhadrāja"],"quick_summary":"Construct a lotus mandala on the ritual ground, install the deity at the center, assign deities to the directional filaments, worship Ravi (Subhadrāja) in his many forms, and conclude with an external bali offering."}
Concept: Cosmic order is ritually internalized by mapping directions and deities onto a mandala; center-periphery hierarchy mirrors brahmāṇḍa structure.
Application: Use mandala layout to structure pūjā: center installation, directional placements, and bali outside to harmonize inner/outer spaces.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Padma/Surya-mandala worship and nyasa of deities)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual ground with a drawn lotus mandala; central Sun-deity installation; small deity markers on directional filaments; priest offering; bali placed outside the mandala boundary.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: top-down lotus mandala with vivid reds/yellows; central Sūrya with radiating rays; directional deities on petals; priest at edge placing bali outside.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Sūrya with gold radiance, lotus mandala rendered ornamentally; petal deities as small icons; foreground bali offerings with gold accents.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise instructional mandala drawing—lotus with labeled directions, center placement, arrows for nyāsa; Sūrya icon titled ‘Subhadrāja’.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtyard ritual with a chalked lotus diagram; attendants holding trays; central sun emblem; careful depiction of offerings placed just outside the diagram."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Suryakant (if available)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्थण्डिलेब्जे = स्थण्डिल-इब्जे (समास/सन्धि-लेखन); केशरगान् = केशर-गान्; बलिर्वहिः = बलिः + वहिः (विसर्गलोपः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Maṇḍala-lakṣaṇa and devatā-nyāsa passages; Agni Purana: Sūrya-upāsanā and bali-vidhi sections
FAQs
It teaches padma-mandala procedure: place the main deity in the center of a lotus diagram on the ritual ground and assign deities to the lotus filaments in the directions, then perform Surya (Ravi/Subhadrāja) worship with prescribed offerings (bali).
It functions as a compact ritual manual entry—detailing yantra/mandala layout, directional deity installation, and offering protocol—showing how the Agni Purana preserves practical liturgical technology alongside theology.
Correct mandala placement and offerings are presented as a means to align the worshipper with cosmic order (directions and solar power), supporting purification and merit through properly structured Surya-oriented worship.