Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 1
Chapter 42 — प्रासादलक्षणकथनं
Prāsāda-lakṣaṇa-kathana: Characteristics of the Temple/Prāsāda
इत्य् आदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये पातालयोगकथनं नाम एकचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः अथ द्वाचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः प्रासादलक्षणकथनं हयग्रीव उवाच प्रासादं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वसाधारणं शृणु चतुरस्रीकृतं क्षेत्रं भजेत् षोडशधा बुधः
ity ādimahāpurāṇe āgneye pātālayogakathanaṃ nāma ekacatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ atha dvācatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ prāsādalakṣaṇakathanaṃ hayagrīva uvāca prāsādaṃ sampravakṣyāmi sarvasādhāraṇaṃ śṛṇu caturasrīkṛtaṃ kṣetraṃ bhajet ṣoḍaśadhā budhaḥ
Sa gayon, sa Agni Purāṇa—ang sinaunang Mahāpurāṇa—nagtatapos ang ika-41 kabanata na tinatawag na “Paglalahad ng Pātāla-yoga.” Ngayon ay nagsisimula ang ika-42 kabanata, “Paglalarawan ng mga katangian ng prāsāda (templo/estrukturang palasyo).” Wika ni Hayagrīva: “Ipapaliwanag ko ngayon ang prāsāda sa pangkalahatang paraan; makinig. Ang marunong ay dapat pumili ng parisukat na lupain at hatiin ito sa labing-anim na bahagi.”
Hayagriva
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Establishing the foundational site-plan for a prāsāda by selecting a square plot and dividing it into a 4x4 grid for layout decisions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prāsāda-kṣetra: Caturasra-bhūmi and Ṣoḍaśa-vibhāga (Square plot and 16-fold division)","lookup_keywords":["prāsāda","caturasra","kṣetra","ṣoḍaśa-vibhāga","vāstu-maṇḍala"],"quick_summary":"Introduces general prāsāda planning: take a square site and divide it into sixteen parts, forming the basic grid for subsequent architectural placement."}
Concept: Sacred architecture begins with ordered space: the square and its divisions encode harmony and measurability.
Application: Before construction, survey and square the plot; mark a 4x4 grid to standardize placements (center, walls, entrances, subsidiary structures).
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra (Prāsāda-lakṣaṇa / Temple Architecture)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Hayagrīva instructs: a square plot is measured with cords and pegs, then divided into a 4x4 grid; apprentices mark the sixteen squares on the ground.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Hayagrīva as teacher with palm-leaf text, artisans marking a square maṇḍala with cords, sixteen divisions clearly shown, temple backdrop, traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central square vāstu-maṇḍala with gold-highlighted grid lines, Hayagrīva seated as guru, attendants holding measuring rope and pegs, ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, precise instructional scene: surveyors using measuring cord, pegs, and chalk lines to create a 4x4 grid, labels for ‘16 parts’, soft shading and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, architectural planning court-scene: learned teacher and craftsmen around a drawn square plan on ground, fine detailing of tools and grid, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इत्य् = इति; एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः = एकचत्वारिंशः + अध्यायः; द्वाचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः = द्वाचत्वारिंशः + अध्यायः; सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि = सम् + प्रवक्ष्यामि
Related Themes: Agni Purana 42 (Prāsāda-lakṣaṇa section continues with measurements and components)
FAQs
Vāstu-śāstra guidance: it introduces prāsāda-design basics by prescribing a square site-plan and its standard sixteen-fold division, a foundational grid used for layout and proportional planning.
It shows the text shifting from yogic discourse (pātāla-yoga) to applied architectural science (prāsāda-lakṣaṇa), illustrating how the Agni Purāṇa compiles multiple disciplines—ritual, yoga, and technical design—within one corpus.
By grounding construction in a sanctioned sacred grid (the sixteen-part square), the instruction aligns building activity with dharma and ritual order, supporting the idea that correctly planned sacred space promotes auspiciousness and merit.