Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 4
Chapter 40 — भूपरिग्रहो नाम
Bhū-parigraha) / अर्घ्यदानविधानम् (Arghya-dāna-vidhāna
वितानेनार्धपदगं सत्यं पदे भृशं घृतैः व्योम शाकुनमांसेन कोणार्धपदसंस्थितं
vitānenārdhapadagaṃ satyaṃ pade bhṛśaṃ ghṛtaiḥ vyoma śākunamāṃsena koṇārdhapadasaṃsthitaṃ
На полуклетке (ardha-pada) следует поместить Витану; на полной клетке — Сатью. Область, называемая Вьома, надлежит обильно умастить/наполнить гхи; а полуклетку в углу следует занять мясом птиц.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Specifies altar/mandala sub-regions (pada/ardha-pada/koṇa) and assigns ritual items/offerings (vitāna, satya, ghee, bird-flesh) to their correct placements for efficacy and correctness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Yajña-vedi/mandala placements: Vitāna, Satya, Vyoma, and bird-flesh in corner half-pada","lookup_keywords":["ardha-pada","vitāna placement","vyoma ghṛta","śākuna māṃsa","koṇa sector"],"quick_summary":"Ritual geometry governs oblation placement: assign specific items to half-squares, full squares, and corner half-squares; saturate the Vyoma region with ghee and place bird-flesh in the corner half-pada as prescribed."}
Concept: Right action (kriyā) depends on right placement (deśa) and right substance (dravya); ritual space is a structured cosmos.
Application: When constructing/using a vedi or mandala, mark half-padas and corner sectors; place coverings and offerings exactly as assigned, especially ghee saturation in the Vyoma region.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-Śāstra / Yajña-Vedi-Vidhāna (Ritual altar geometry and oblation placements)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual altar/mandala subdivided into squares and half-squares; a canopy element (vitāna) placed on a half-pada, ‘Satya’ on a full square, Vyoma region being anointed with ghee, and bird-flesh set in a corner half-square.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top-down mandala/vedi diagram with bold lines, priest pouring ghṛta into a marked ‘Vyoma’ region, corner half-pada showing śākuna māṃsa symbolically, warm earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, decorative geometric altar with gold accents, shining ghṛta vessel, labeled placements for vitāna and satya, corner offering depicted iconically, ornate ritual setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic schematic: clear grid with highlighted half-padas and corner sectors, arrows indicating placement of vitāna/satya and ghee application, minimal background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed yajña pavilion with canopy, attendants holding ghee pots, a drawn grid on the ground, corner offering placed carefully, fine architectural detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वितानेनार्धपदगं→वितानेन अर्ध-पद-गम्; शाकुनमांसेन→शाकुन-मांसेन.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: vedi-vidhāna and homa-dravya sections; vāstu grid subdivision instructions
FAQs
It teaches vedi-grid (pada/ardha-pada) placement rules—assigning named altar-regions (Vitāna, Satya, Vyoma) and specifying which substances (ghee, bird-flesh) are to be placed/anointed in exact cells, including corner half-squares.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves highly technical liturgical engineering: named mandala/vedi zones, fractional grid-cells (ardha-pada), and precise dravya-nyāsa (material placement), aligning ritual, geometry, and procedure in a manual-like format.
Correct placement of oblations and substances is treated as essential for ritual efficacy—ensuring the homa aligns with cosmic order (vyoma/space symbolism) and thereby producing purification and the intended sacrificial merit (puṇya).