Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 42
The Description of the Sarvatobhadra Maṇḍala (सर्वतोभद्रमण्डलकथनम्)
सत्पन्तु मूर्तिभेदेन विभक्तं मन्यते ऽच्युतं चत्वारिंशत् करं क्षेत्रं ह्य् उत्तरं विभजेत् क्रमात्
satpantu mūrtibhedena vibhaktaṃ manyate 'cyutaṃ catvāriṃśat karaṃ kṣetraṃ hy uttaraṃ vibhajet kramāt
హే అచ్యుతా! సత్పంథు అభిప్రాయం ప్రకారం విభజన మూర్తి-భేదం ప్రకారం చేయబడుతుంది; తరువాత నలభై కరాల పరిమాణం గల క్షేత్రాన్ని ఉత్తర భాగం నుండి క్రమంగా విభజించాలి।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha; with an address to Acyuta/Viṣṇu within the verse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Measuring a 40-kara plot and dividing it from the northern side according to prescribed mūrti-bheda (functional/sectoral divisions), used for temple-site or settlement planning.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kṣetra-māna: 40-kara Plot Division from the North (Mūrti-bheda)","lookup_keywords":["kṣetra-māna","kara-measure","uttara-vibhāga","mūrti-bheda","vāstu"],"quick_summary":"For a standard 40-kara site, begin division from the northern side and allocate sectors according to the specified differentiated ‘forms’ (mūrti-bheda) used in vāstu partitioning."}
Concept: Cosmic order is mirrored through measured space and directional hierarchy; correct orientation (uttara) governs auspicious allocation.
Application: When laying out a site, fix true north first, then execute sequential divisions; document units (kara) and sector assignments to avoid inauspicious misplacement.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-Śāstra (Kṣetra-māna & Vibhāga—land measurement and plot-division)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Surveyors measure a rectangular plot marked ‘40 kara’; a chief planner begins marking divisions from the northern edge, drawing sector lines according to vāstu categories.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, survey scene with measuring rods, a plot diagram on the ground, north indicated with a stylized compass, planners in traditional attire marking divisions, bold outlines and decorative borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on measuring tools and boundary markers, a deity-invoked planning scene with Viṣṇu as witness, rich ornamentation around a clear plot diagram","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic layout: clean grid, north arrow, 40-kara annotation, sequential division lines, planner pointing to the northern start, subdued palette for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architects and scribes in a garden-like setting, detailed instruments, a drawn plan with north orientation, fine textiles and architectural background"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्यते ऽच्युतं = मन्यते + अच्युतम्. ह्य् उत्तरं = हि + उत्तरम् (यण्/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि लेखन). ‘सत्पन्तु’ is taken as सत् + पन्तु (unclear reading; likely a particle sequence).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vāstu chapters on kṣetra-māna, pada-vinyāsa, and dik-vibhāga
FAQs
It gives a vāstu/land-survey rule: a standard plot of forty kara is to be systematically subdivided beginning from the northern side, according to prescribed layout-types (mūrti-bheda).
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied technical knowledge—here, practical vāstu and land-measurement conventions (units, orientation, and procedural division), showing the text’s coverage of architecture and planning.
Correct directional division and proportion in vāstu is traditionally held to maintain harmony (ṛta) in built space, supporting auspiciousness and reducing doṣa (architectural/ritual faults) in settlement or construction.