Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 18
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
सिद्धादिवटुकाः पूज्या हेतुकश् च कपालिकः एकपादो भीमरूपो दिक्पालान्मध्यतो नव
siddhādivaṭukāḥ pūjyā hetukaś ca kapālikaḥ ekapādo bhīmarūpo dikpālānmadhyato nava
सिद्धादिवटुकाः पूज्याः हेतुकश्च कपालिकः। एकपादो भीमरूपो दिक्पालान्मध्यतो नव॥
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mandala-based worship: installing and honoring Bhairava/vaṭuka attendants and enumerating a ninefold inner circle aligned with Dikpālas for protective ritual geometry.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vaṭuka and Bhairava-attendant Pūjā within Dikpāla-mandala (Nine in the center)","lookup_keywords":["Vaṭuka","Siddha vaṭuka","Hetuka","Kapālika","Dikpāla mandala"],"quick_summary":"Instructs worship of vaṭukas (starting with Siddha) and specific fierce attendants (Hetuka, Kapālika, Ekapāda, Bhīmarūpa), forming a ninefold set positioned amid the directional guardians."}
Concept: Ritual space is sacralized through ordered placement of powers; guardianship is achieved by āvaraṇa (enclosure) logic—center and directions mutually secure the sādhana.
Application: In pūjā, map Dikpālas to directions, then place the nine attendants in the madhya (inner zone) as prescribed; offer bali/incense appropriate to fierce forms where tradition allows.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi & Tantra (Bhairava/Kāpālika attendants; Dikpāla-related enumeration)
Primary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual mandala diagram: eight Dikpālas around the perimeter with a central cluster of nine fierce attendants/vaṭukas; offerings placed at nodes; the atmosphere is protective and formidable.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular mandala with Dikpālas at eight directions, central nine fierce attendants with bold eyes and ornaments, ritual lamps, strong outlines and saturated colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embellished mandala frame, Dikpālas in directional niches, central fierce attendants with ornate crowns, heavy gold work highlighting the protective enclosure","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional mandala chart with labeled directions, stylized attendant figures (Ekapāda, Kapālika) rendered delicately, muted palette for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down mandala composition like a garden plan, directional guardians in corners, central nine figures, meticulous detailing of offerings and ritual implements"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सिद्धादिवटुकाः = सिद्ध + आदि + वटुकाः; हेतुकश् = हेतुकः + च (visarga→ś before c); दिक्पालान्मध्यतो = दिक्पालान् + मध्यतः (anusvāra/cluster sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 347 (Dikpāla-related pūjā and attendant-deity enumerations)
FAQs
It specifies a set of named Vaṭuka/gaṇa forms (Siddhādi, Hetuka, Kapālika, Ekapāda, Bhīmarūpa) to be worshipped as a ninefold group positioned among the Dikpālas—useful for constructing a ritual mandala and sequencing deity-invocations.
It catalogs precise deity/attendant names and their placement relative to the Dikpālas, reflecting the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style—preserving ritual taxonomies, mandala-structure data, and specialized tantric nomenclature alongside other sciences.
Worship of these terrifying/guardian-associated forms is presented as a method of ritual protection and directional safeguarding, supporting purification and the successful completion of rites by harmonizing the practitioner’s space with the Dikpāla order.