Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 9
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
तदन्तरालं तत्पार्श्वे कृत्वा वाह्यक्रमेण च केशरे तु लिखेद्द्वौ द्वौ दलमध्ये ततः पुनः घ्राणं वाक्पाणिपादञ्च द्वात्रिंशद्वारिजेष्विमान् चतुर्थावरणे पूज्याः साङ्गाः सपरिवारकाः
tadantarālaṃ tatpārśve kṛtvā vāhyakrameṇa ca keśare tu likheddvau dvau dalamadhye tataḥ punaḥ ghrāṇaṃ vākpāṇipādañca dvātriṃśadvārijeṣvimān caturthāvaraṇe pūjyāḥ sāṅgāḥ saparivārakāḥ
அதன் பக்கங்களில் இடைவெளிகளை அமைத்து, வெளிப்புற வரிசையில் முன்னேறி, கேசரத்தில் இரண்டு-இரண்டு (பெயர்/குறி) எழுத வேண்டும்; பின்னர் மீண்டும் இதழ்களின் நடுவில். இவை—மூக்கு (க்ராணம்), வாக்கு, கை (பாணி), பாதம்—முப்பத்திரண்டு தாமரைப் பகுதிகளில் நிறுவப்பட வேண்டும். நான்காம் ஆவரணத்தில் இவை அங்கங்களுடனும் பரிவாரத்துடனும் வழிபடப்பட வேண்டும்.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Avaraṇa-pūjā expansion: arranging interspaces and proceeding outward, inscribing pairs on the lotus filaments and placing specific faculties (smell, speech, hands, feet) across thirty-two lotus compartments for fourth-enclosure worship with aṅgas and parivāras.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Caturthāvaraṇa: dvau-dvau keśara-lekhana and dvātriṃśad-dvārija indriya-karaṇa-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["caturthāvaraṇa","keśara","dvātriṃśat","ghrāṇa","vāk-pāṇi-pāda"],"quick_summary":"Proceeding outward in the maṇḍala, inscribe paired marks on the filaments and place ghrāṇa, vāk, hands, and feet across the thirty-two lotus divisions; worship them in the fourth enclosure along with their subsidiary limbs and attendant deities."}
Concept: Embodied action and expression (speech, hands, feet) and sensory intake (smell) are integrated into āvaraṇa worship as sanctified functions with ‘aṅga’ and ‘parivāra’ extensions.
Application: In practice, treat daily faculties (speech/action/movement) as offerings: ritualizes ethical speech and disciplined action by placing them under divine governance.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Yantra/Mandala-nyasa and Avarana-puja)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A multi-layer lotus maṇḍala with outer progression; filaments (keśara) carry paired inscriptions; thirty-two compartments are labeled with ghrāṇa, vāk, pāṇi, pāda; the fourth enclosure is shown populated with attendant figures around each faculty.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, concentric lotus enclosures with clear outerward sequence, paired marks on filaments, compartments labeled for smell/speech/hands/feet, attendant deities as small stylized figures, temple-lamp ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, richly ornamented concentric lotus with gold relief on the fourth enclosure ring, inscriptions for ghrāṇa-vāk-pāṇi-pāda, small parivāra figures in each segment, heavy gold borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic clarity: concentric rings, keśara with ‘two-by-two’ markings, 32 labeled compartments, arrows indicating outward order, minimal devotional figures for instructional use.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, geometric mandala on cloth with calligraphy, teacher pointing to the fourth enclosure, assistants placing offerings at segments labeled ghrāṇa/vāk/pāṇi/pāda, detailed textiles and margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tadantarālaṃ → tad-antarālam; likheddvau → likhet + dvau; vākpāṇipādañca → vāk-pāṇi-pādam + ca; dvātriṃśadvārijeṣvimān → dvātriṃśat-dvārijeṣu + imān; caturthāvaraṇe → caturtha-āvaraṇe; sāṅgāḥ → sa-aṅgāḥ; saparivārakāḥ → sa-parivārakāḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 29 (āvaraṇa sequence and lotus-compartment allocations)
FAQs
It teaches padma-yantra layout: arranging interspaces, writing paired syllables/marks on the lotus filaments, then placing specific faculties (nose, speech, hands, feet) into the thirty-two lotus compartments for fourth-āvaraṇa worship.
It preserves highly technical temple/tantric procedure—diagram construction, sequencing (outer order), and enclosure-based worship—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical ritual technology alongside broader Purāṇic theology.
By correctly installing and worshipping the faculties within the prescribed enclosure (āvaraṇa), the practitioner ritually purifies and sacralizes bodily functions, aligning them with the deity’s mandala and accruing merit through rule-based worship.