Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Yātrā-Maṇḍala-Cintā and Rājya-Rakṣaṇa: Auspicious Travel Rules and the Twelve-King Mandala
उदीची च तथा प्राची तयोरैक्यं प्रकीर्तितं पश्चिमा दक्षिणा या दिक् तयोरैक्यं तथैव च
udīcī ca tathā prācī tayoraikyaṃ prakīrtitaṃ paścimā dakṣiṇā yā dik tayoraikyaṃ tathaiva ca
उदीची प्राची च परस्परैक्येन निर्दिष्टे; तथा पश्चिमी दक्षिणा च दिक् परस्परैक्येन प्रकीर्तिते।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Directional pairing used in vastu planning, ritual orientation, and interpreting directional omens (dik-sambandha).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Directional Pairing (Dik-aikya): North–East and West–South","lookup_keywords":["udici praci aikya","pascima daksina aikya","dik-nirnaya","vastu directions","ritual orientation"],"quick_summary":"Treat North with East as an allied pair, and West with South as another allied pair—useful for deciding orientation, movement, and directional correspondences in ritual and vastu."}
Concept: Space is structured through directional relations; practical life and ritual benefit from codified spatial correspondences.
Application: In site-planning or ritual seating/movement, apply paired-direction logic when a text prescribes effects by ‘allied’ quarters.
Khanda Section: Vastu-Shastra / Dik-nirnaya (Directions and their ritual-architectural equivalences)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A square vastu-mandala with cardinal directions labeled; North and East are linked with a band, and West and South linked similarly, shown as paired unities for planning.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized vastu-mandala on the floor with bold direction glyphs, a sthapati pointing to North–East pairing and West–South pairing, traditional tools, decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted compass rose and vastu grid, richly ornamented sthapati and patron, temple doorway in background, emphasis on sacred geometry with gilded lines.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, neat didactic diagram: compass with paired arrows (N↔E, W↔S), annotations in Devanagari, calm scholarly setting with measuring cord and stylus.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architect presenting a painted plan to a noble, fine geometric grid with direction labels, subtle shading, patterned carpet framing the mandala."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तयोरैक्यम् = तयोः + ऐक्यम्; तथैव = तथा + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 232 (dik-nirnaya within muhurta/omens context)
FAQs
It teaches a directional pairing principle: North is treated in conjunction with East, and West in conjunction with South—useful in Vāstu/ritual layouts where directions are grouped for planning, placement, and orientation.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied śāstra such as Vāstu and ritual-geometry; this verse is a compact rule for organizing space by directional theory, a practical knowledge-system embedded inside a Purāṇa.
By aligning constructions and rites with prescribed directional order, one is said to harmonize with cosmic regulation (ṛta/dharma), supporting purity and auspicious outcomes in worship, dwelling, and consecration.