Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 4
Chapter 40 — भूपरिग्रहो नाम
Bhū-parigraha) / अर्घ्यदानविधानम् (Arghya-dāna-vidhāna
वितानेनार्धपदगं सत्यं पदे भृशं घृतैः व्योम शाकुनमांसेन कोणार्धपदसंस्थितं
vitānenārdhapadagaṃ satyaṃ pade bhṛśaṃ ghṛtaiḥ vyoma śākunamāṃsena koṇārdhapadasaṃsthitaṃ
آردھ پد میں وِتان قائم کرے؛ اور پد میں سَتیہ رکھے۔ ‘ویوم’ کے حصے کو گھی سے خوب بھر دے/چوپڑ دے؛ اور کون-آردھ پد میں پرندوں کا گوشت رکھے۔
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Specifies altar/mandala sub-regions (pada/ardha-pada/koṇa) and assigns ritual items/offerings (vitāna, satya, ghee, bird-flesh) to their correct placements for efficacy and correctness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Yajña-vedi/mandala placements: Vitāna, Satya, Vyoma, and bird-flesh in corner half-pada","lookup_keywords":["ardha-pada","vitāna placement","vyoma ghṛta","śākuna māṃsa","koṇa sector"],"quick_summary":"Ritual geometry governs oblation placement: assign specific items to half-squares, full squares, and corner half-squares; saturate the Vyoma region with ghee and place bird-flesh in the corner half-pada as prescribed."}
Concept: Right action (kriyā) depends on right placement (deśa) and right substance (dravya); ritual space is a structured cosmos.
Application: When constructing/using a vedi or mandala, mark half-padas and corner sectors; place coverings and offerings exactly as assigned, especially ghee saturation in the Vyoma region.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-Śāstra / Yajña-Vedi-Vidhāna (Ritual altar geometry and oblation placements)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual altar/mandala subdivided into squares and half-squares; a canopy element (vitāna) placed on a half-pada, ‘Satya’ on a full square, Vyoma region being anointed with ghee, and bird-flesh set in a corner half-square.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, top-down mandala/vedi diagram with bold lines, priest pouring ghṛta into a marked ‘Vyoma’ region, corner half-pada showing śākuna māṃsa symbolically, warm earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, decorative geometric altar with gold accents, shining ghṛta vessel, labeled placements for vitāna and satya, corner offering depicted iconically, ornate ritual setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic schematic: clear grid with highlighted half-padas and corner sectors, arrows indicating placement of vitāna/satya and ghee application, minimal background for clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed yajña pavilion with canopy, attendants holding ghee pots, a drawn grid on the ground, corner offering placed carefully, fine architectural detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वितानेनार्धपदगं→वितानेन अर्ध-पद-गम्; शाकुनमांसेन→शाकुन-मांसेन.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: vedi-vidhāna and homa-dravya sections; vāstu grid subdivision instructions
FAQs
It teaches vedi-grid (pada/ardha-pada) placement rules—assigning named altar-regions (Vitāna, Satya, Vyoma) and specifying which substances (ghee, bird-flesh) are to be placed/anointed in exact cells, including corner half-squares.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves highly technical liturgical engineering: named mandala/vedi zones, fractional grid-cells (ardha-pada), and precise dravya-nyāsa (material placement), aligning ritual, geometry, and procedure in a manual-like format.
Correct placement of oblations and substances is treated as essential for ritual efficacy—ensuring the homa aligns with cosmic order (vyoma/space symbolism) and thereby producing purification and the intended sacrificial merit (puṇya).