Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 15
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
एकपद्मे ऽर्चयेदेतान्नव दुर्गाश् च पूजयेत् भगवती कात्यायनी कौशिकी चाथ चण्डिका
ekapadme 'rcayedetānnava durgāś ca pūjayet bhagavatī kātyāyanī kauśikī cātha caṇḍikā
एकपद्मेऽर्चयेदेतान्, नव दुर्गाश्च पूजयेत्—भगवतीं कात्यायनीं कौशिकीं चाथ चण्डिकाम् (इत्यादि)।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Navadurgā worship within a single lotus-diagram (padma/yantra) for śakti-upāsanā, protection, and auspicious empowerment in household or temple ritual.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Navadurgā pūjā in eka-padma (single lotus yantra)","lookup_keywords":["Navadurga puja","eka padma yantra","Katyayani","Kaushiki","Chandika"],"quick_summary":"Instructs worship of the Nine Durgās arranged in one lotus-diagram; names key forms (Bhagavatī, Kātyāyanī, Kauśikī, Caṇḍikā) as objects of veneration within a unified yantric layout."}
Weapon Type: Trident/Sword (implied Durga weaponry)
Concept: Unity-in-multiplicity of Devī: many forms worshipped within one padma, indicating integrated Śakti manifesting as distinct powers.
Application: Construct/draw a lotus yantra, assign petals to Devī forms, offer flowers/incense/lamp with name-mantras; use as a structured Navarātri or protective household rite.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devi-upasana (Navadurga & Yantra-Padma worship)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single lotus yantra on an altar with nine petals/sections, each occupied by a form of Durgā; the worshipper offers flowers to each name—Bhagavatī, Kātyāyanī, Kauśikī, Caṇḍikā—within one unified padma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: large lotus mandala filling the frame; nine Devī forms on petals with bold outlines and saturated reds; central lamp and offerings; temple-wall symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate lotus with gold-leaf petal borders; each Devī form richly jeweled with gold emboss; central Śakti radiance; offerings of flowers and lamps in foreground.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise yantra-padma diagram with labeled petals; Devī forms rendered delicately; instructional clarity showing placement and sequence of worship.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: indoor shrine scene with a lotus diagram on cloth, nine goddess figures in miniature niches around it; fine textiles, detailed offerings, and elegant architectural framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: 'rcayet = arcayet (a- elision after avagraha). etānnava = etān + nava (n-sandhi). durgāś ca = durgāḥ + ca (visarga sandhi). cātha = ca + atha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 347 (pūjā-vidhi and mantra context around Devī upāsanā); Agni Purana Devī-stotra/vrata materials elsewhere in the Purana
FAQs
It teaches a specific pūjā arrangement: worship of Devī’s forms within a single padma-maṇḍala (lotus diagram), explicitly directing Navadurgā-archana and naming key forms to be invoked.
By giving a concrete, procedural instruction for Shākta ritual—diagram-based worship (maṇḍala/yantra) plus a mapped list of goddess-forms—this chapter exemplifies the Agni Purana’s manual-like coverage of diverse religious technologies alongside other sciences.
Navadurgā worship is framed as protective and purificatory: invoking multiple fierce and beneficent Devī-forms in a structured maṇḍala is traditionally held to remove obstacles, grant siddhi/protection, and accumulate merit through correct veneration (pūjā).