Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 46
Explanation of the Vāsudeva and Related Mantras (वासुदेवादिमन्त्रनिरूपणम्)
सञ्चिन्त्य मण्डलैके तु प्रकृतिं पूजयेद्बुधः पूर्वयाम्याप्यसौम्येषु हृदयादीनि पूजयेत्
sañcintya maṇḍalaike tu prakṛtiṃ pūjayedbudhaḥ pūrvayāmyāpyasaumyeṣu hṛdayādīni pūjayet
เมื่อภาวนามณฑลเดียวไว้ในใจแล้ว ผู้รู้พึงบูชาปฤกฤติ; และในทิศตะวันออก ใต้ ตะวันตก และเหนือ พึงบูชาที่ตั้งภายในเริ่มด้วยหทัยเป็นต้น
Lord Agni (narrating ritual procedure to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mandala-dhyāna and pūjā-krama: visualize a unified mandala, worship Prakṛti at the center, then worship inner seats (heart etc.) aligned to the four directions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Mandala visualization and directional worship of Prakṛti and hṛdayādi-pīṭhas","lookup_keywords":["mandala-dhyana","prakriti-puja","hṛdayādi","dik-puja","yantra"],"quick_summary":"First stabilize a single mandala in the mind; worship Prakṛti, then perform directional worship in east/south/west/north for the inner seats beginning with the heart. This structures inner and outer pūjā into one coherent diagram."}
Concept: Microcosm–macrocosm alignment: inner loci (hṛdayādi) correspond to mandala directions; Prakṛti as the operative ground of manifestation honored through structured worship.
Application: In yantra-pūjā, keep one stable mental mandala; then proceed quarter-wise to avoid confusion and maintain ritual symmetry.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Yantra-Mandala-Dhyana (Ritual visualization and worship procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lotus-mandala/yantra visualized as one unified diagram; at the center Prakṛti/Śakti is worshipped, and in the four directions the heart and related inner seats are honored as luminous nodes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, large lotus mandala with central Devī as Prakṛti, four directional panels marked east/south/west/north, glowing heart-lotus symbols in each quarter, temple mural palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Devī with gold halo seated on lotus within a yantra, thick gold work on mandala lines, four directional niches with small symbolic lotuses labeled as inner seats.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, clean geometric mandala with subtle shading, priest/sādhaka offering flowers to center then to quarters, instructional composition emphasizing sequence.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down view of a mandala on a carpet, practitioner placing offerings in four directions, central feminine principle depicted symbolically, fine geometric detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pūjayedbudhaḥ = pūjayet + budhaḥ. pūrvayāmyāpyasaumyeṣu = pūrva + yāmya + āpya + saumyeṣu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 25 (yantra/mandala worship instructions); Agni Purana (pūjā-vidhi chapters on dik-pūjā and āvaraṇa-pūjā patterns)
FAQs
It teaches mandala-dhyāna (visualizing a unified ritual diagram) followed by worship of Prakṛti and directional honoring of internal loci beginning with the heart (hṛdayādi), aligning outer directions with inner nyāsa.
Alongside mythology and dharma, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual technology—mandala visualization, deity/power invocation (Prakṛti), and body-based worship (nyāsa)—showing its coverage of specialized liturgical and tantric-ritual methods.
By integrating Prakṛti-worship with heart-centered and directional nyāsa, the practitioner sacralizes both body and space, aiming at purification, steadiness of mind, and effective ritual alignment (saṃskāra) for successful worship.