Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 23
Chapter 49 — मत्स्यादिलक्षणवर्णनम्
Description of the Characteristics of Matsya and the Other Incarnations
विंशद्बाहुश् चतुर्वक्त्रो दक्षिणस्थोथ वामके त्रिनेत्रे वामपार्श्वे न शयितो जलशाय्यपि
viṃśadbāhuś caturvaktro dakṣiṇasthotha vāmake trinetre vāmapārśve na śayito jalaśāyyapi
พระองค์ทรงมีพระกรยี่สิบและสี่พระพักตร์; ทรงประดิษฐานทั้งด้านขวาและด้านซ้าย. ทรงมีสามพระเนตร; ในด้านซ้าย แม้ในปางชลศายี (บรรทมเหนือสายน้ำ) ก็ไม่ทรงถูกแสดงว่าเอนบรรทมอยู่.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Guides dhyāna and image-making by specifying arm/face count, eye count, and compositional placement rules (right/left positioning; exclusion of a reclining pose on the left side).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Caturvaktra-viṃśatibāhu tri-netra icon—positional rule (non-reclining on left)","lookup_keywords":["viṃśati-bāhu","catur-vaktra","tri-netra","jalaśāyī","pratimā-sthāna"],"quick_summary":"Defines a specific iconographic configuration: twenty arms, four faces, three eyes, and a compositional constraint that the left-side depiction should not be in the reclining-on-waters posture."}
Concept: Dhyāna requires precise form (ākāra) and placement; correct visualization is itself a discipline supporting ritual efficacy.
Application: Use as a checklist for temple sculptors and for sādhakas performing nyāsa/dhyāna before pūjā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Murti-lakshana (Iconography of deities)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A frontal deity with four faces and twenty arms, three eyes emphasized; composition shows a right-side and left-side arrangement, with the left explicitly not in a reclining-on-ocean pose; the scene reads like a temple icon specification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: four-faced, three-eyed deity with twenty arms in symmetrical fan-like spread; show two-panel composition indicating right placement and left placement; avoid depicting the left as reclining; traditional mural borders and lotus motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central four-faced, twenty-armed icon with gold halo and embossed ornaments; include a small inset vignette of jalaśāyī crossed out/absent on the left side to convey the rule; rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic yet elegant painting, clear count of 20 arms and 4 faces, three eyes; side-by-side layout labeled ‘dakṣiṇa’ and ‘vāma’; left panel shows standing/seated, not reclining; soft pastel palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly framing with architectural arches; deity with four faces and many arms; marginal note-like calligraphy indicating ‘not jalaśāyī on left’; delicate detailing and subdued gold."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: viṃśadbāhuś→viṃśat-bāhuḥ (final -t before b); dakṣiṇasthotha→dakṣiṇa-sthaḥ atha; jalaśāyyapi→jala-śāyī api.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 49.22–49.26 (continuous murti-lakṣaṇa and dhyāna sequence)
FAQs
It gives murti-lakṣaṇa (iconographic) constraints: the deity’s arms/faces/eyes and positional rules (right/left placement), including a restriction about not depicting a reclining posture on the left side even when invoking the Jalaśāyī form.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical temple-arts knowledge—how images should be composed, proportioned, and positioned—showing the text’s coverage of ritual manuals, sculpture/architecture-adjacent rules, and applied religious art standards.
Correct iconographic depiction is treated as safeguarding ritual correctness (śāstra-sammatā pūjā), believed to ensure the intended devotional result and avoid doṣa (ritual fault) arising from improper forms or placements.