Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 6
Viṣṇu-Pañjara (विष्णुपञ्जरम्) — The Protective Armor of Viṣṇu
गदा चेयं सहस्रार्चिःप्रदीप्तपावकोज्ज्वला रक्षोभूतपिशाचानां डाकिनीनाञ्च नाशनी
gadā ceyaṃ sahasrārciḥpradīptapāvakojjvalā rakṣobhūtapiśācānāṃ ḍākinīnāñca nāśanī
Ang mismong pamalong ito ay may sanlibong liyab, nagliliyab na parang apoy na sinindihan; ito ang tagapuksa ng mga rākṣasa, bhūta, piśāca, at pati ng mga ḍākinī.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s ritual-protective discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Apotropaic protection (raksha) by invoking a fiery gada as a mantra-weapon to repel/neutralize bhuta-preta and hostile entities.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Gadā as Rakṣā-Āyudha (Thousand-flamed Fire-Mace)","lookup_keywords":["gadā","rakṣā-mantra","rākṣasa-bhūta-piśāca","ḍākinī","apotropaic"],"quick_summary":"The verse sacralizes the mace as a blazing, thousand-flamed protective implement. It functions as a mantra-weapon aimed at destroying/banishing rākṣasas, bhūtas, piśācas, and ḍākinīs."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (weapon identified with fire)
Weapon Type: Mace (gadā)
Concept: Tejas (fiery potency) harnessed through mantra-visualization to negate adharmic/hostile forces.
Application: Use in kavaca/nyāsa: mentally install the blazing gadā as a protective guard and recite for bhūta-preta-śānti.
Khanda Section: Isana-kalpa (Protective rites, weapons/mantras, and apotropaic ritual technology)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant mace, wreathed in flames like a thousand tongues of fire, stands as a protective emblem while shadowy rākṣasas, bhūtas, piśācas, and ḍākinīs recoil and dissolve.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, central blazing gadā with layered flame halos, subdued earthy reds and ochres, demon-spirits in the margins retreating, ornamental borders, sacred protective aura","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, iconic flaming gadā with gold leaf radiance, embossed halo effects, stylized spirits fleeing, rich reds and greens, devotional protective composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, detailed flame patterns around the gadā, instructional kavaca feel with labeled hostile beings receding, calm but potent aura","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, finely detailed fiery mace with delicate flame strokes, night-scene with small grotesque spirits dispersing, precise ornamentation, controlled palette with bright fire highlights"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ceyaṃ = ca + iyam; sahasrārciḥpradīptapāvakojjvalā resolved as sahasra-arciḥ-pradīpta-pāvaka-ujjvalā; ḍākinīnāñca = ḍākinīnām + ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Isana-kalpa sections on rakṣā, kavaca, bhūta-preta-nivāraṇa; Agni Purana chapters describing Viṣṇu’s āyudhas and protective stotras (kavaca-prayoga)
FAQs
It characterizes a consecrated gada (mace) as a fire-like, multi-rayed protective implement whose function is apotropaic—used to repel/destroy classes of harmful entities (rakṣas, bhūtas, piśācas, ḍākinīs) within protective rites.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied religious technology—weapon-sanctification and spirit-affliction countermeasures—cataloging named entity-types and their ritual neutralization, alongside other domains like worship procedure, polity, medicine, and arts.
The verse frames protection as dharmic purification: aligning with fiery (pāvaka) power to remove malignant influences, thereby safeguarding the practitioner’s ritual purity, well-being, and capacity to perform righteous duties.