Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 6
अध्याय ५१: सूर्यादिप्रतिमालक्षणम्
Characteristics of the Images of Sūrya and Others
रविश् चैवाथ पर्जन्यस्त्वष्टा मित्रोथ विष्णुकः मेषादिराशिसंस्थाश् च मार्गादिकार्त्तिकान्तकाः
raviś caivātha parjanyastvaṣṭā mitrotha viṣṇukaḥ meṣādirāśisaṃsthāś ca mārgādikārttikāntakāḥ
รวิ ปรชัญยะ ตวษฏฤ มิตร และวิษณุกะ—เหล่านี้สถิตกำกับราศีเริ่มด้วยเมษ. และส่วนแบ่งที่สอดคล้องกันดำเนินจากเดือนมารคศีรษะไปจนถึงสิ้นเดือนการติกะ.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Mapping solar deities (Aditya-forms) to zodiacal signs and the annual month-cycle for calendrical observances, vrata timing, and astrological interpretation of solar transit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aditya-Forms over Rashi: Ravi, Parjanya, Tvashtr, Mitra, Vishnuka (Mesha onward) & Month Span (Margashirsha–Karttika)","lookup_keywords":["Ravi Parjanya","Tvashtr Mitra","Vishnuka","Mesha rashi","Margashirsha Karttika"],"quick_summary":"Assigns named solar forms to zodiacal stations beginning with Aries and relates them to the month sequence from Mārgaśīrṣa through Kārttika, supporting ritual calendars and solar transit reckoning."}
Concept: Time (kala) as structured through solar motion—deity-names encode functional aspects of the sun across divisions of the year.
Application: Use deity-to-rashi/month correspondences to align vrata, dana, and temple festivals with solar transitions (sankranti/month boundaries).
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa (Solar months, zodiacal divisions, and Adityas/solar deities)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A zodiac wheel beginning with Mesha, each segment presided over by a named solar form (Ravi, Parjanya, Tvashtr, Mitra, Vishnuka), alongside a circular month-ring from Margashirsha to Karttika.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, large chakra with rashi symbols, solar deities seated in each segment, month-ring inscriptions, warm earthy palette, sacred diagram aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate zodiac chakra with gold highlights, Surya at center, rashi compartments with deity labels, month garland around, rich temple-calendar feel","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional astrological chart, rashi wheel with clear icon-symbols, deities rendered delicately, emphasis on legibility and order","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, astronomical manuscript style, finely ruled circles, rashi animals, small seated deities, elegant marginalia indicating months"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam (didactic clarity)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: च + एव + अथ → चैवाथ; पर्जन्यः + त्वष्टा → पर्जन्यस्त्वष्टा; मित्रः + अथ → मित्रोथ; मेषादि + राशि + संस्थाः → मेषादिराशिसंस्थाः; मार्गादि + कार्त्तिकान्तकाः → मार्गादिकार्त्तिकान्तकाः
Related Themes: Agni Purana jyotisha passages on months, nakshatras, and grahas (nearby chapters); Agni Purana sections on Adityas and kala-vibhaga
FAQs
It assigns specific solar deities (Ravi, Parjanya, Tvaṣṭṛ, Mitra, Viṣṇuka) as presiding powers over rāśis (zodiac signs) and frames the annual cycle in month-divisions from Mārgaśīrṣa through Kārttika—useful for choosing auspicious timings and deity-focused observances.
By cataloguing astrological-correspondence data—deities, zodiacal stations, and month ranges—it exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style, integrating ritual practice with calendrical and jyotiṣa-based classification.
Aligning worship, vows, and rites with the appropriate deity-month-rāśi correspondences is presented as a way to harmonize action with cosmic order (ṛta), supporting purity of observance and the accrual of religious merit through properly timed practice.