Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 15
Chapter 246 — वास्तुलक्षणम्
Characteristics of Building-sites / Vāstu
दक्षे गृहक्षतः पुष्प आप्ये सुग्रीव उत्तमः पुष्पदन्तो ह्य् उदग्द्वारि भल्लाटः पुष्पदन्तकः
dakṣe gṛhakṣataḥ puṣpa āpye sugrīva uttamaḥ puṣpadanto hy udagdvāri bhallāṭaḥ puṣpadantakaḥ
دائیں جانب گِرہکْشَت ہے؛ آپی (آبی) سمت میں پُشپ ہے؛ آگنےی سمت میں سُگریو ہے؛ بالائی حصے میں اُتّم ہے؛ شمالی دروازے پر پُشپدنت ہے؛ اور بھلّاٹ اور پُشپدنتک بھی وابستہ سَنِّدهیاں ہیں۔
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Dvāra-vāstu: assigning specific presences/guardians to right side, water quarter, Agni quarter, upper region, and especially the northern doorway—used during door installation, house-entry rites, and protective threshold worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dvāra-vāstu placements: Gṛhakṣata (right), Puṣpa (Āpya), Sugrīva (Agni), Uttama (upper), Puṣpadanta at north door; Bhallāṭa/Puṣpadantaka","lookup_keywords":["dvara-vastu","north-door-pushpadanta","agneya-sugriva","grihakshata","apya-pushpa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a practical placement list for door/threshold guardians and adjacent directional presences. Use it as a checklist during dvāra-pratiṣṭhā and vāstu-pūjā to secure auspicious entry points."}
Concept: Ritual order at boundaries (doors) safeguards the interior life of the household/temple; names encode functional protections.
Application: During door installation: invoke/remember assigned guardians, perform lamp-offering and prokṣaṇa at the north door, and maintain cleanliness and unobstructed entry to preserve auspicious flow.
Khanda Section: Vastu / Dvara-Vastu (Directional and threshold-ritual prescriptions; auspicious markers and guardians of gates)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Architectural-point
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A northern doorway being consecrated: Puṣpadanta stationed at the lintel, other presences marked around (Gṛhakṣata to the right, Puṣpa in water quarter, Sugrīva in Agni quarter, Uttama above), with a priest performing dvāra-pūjā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple doorway scene with priest offering lamp and water, guardian figure Puṣpadanta at the north door, compass-like floor markings showing Āpya and Agni quarters, inscriptions for Gṛhakṣata and Uttama, warm lamp glow","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly ornamented north doorway with gold-leaf arch, Puṣpadanta as jeweled guardian, priest with ārati, small corner medallions for Puṣpa (water) and Sugrīva (Agni), heavy gold borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, technical illustration: doorway elevation with labeled positions (right side, north door, upper region), small guardian icons, clean lines and soft shading, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, domestic doorway consecration with artisans and priest, subtle guardian figures indicated near the lintel and sides, annotated compass directions, delicate palette and calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुष्पदन्तो ह्य् = पुष्पदन्तः + हि; उदग्द्वारि = उदक्/उदग् + द्वारि (सप्तमी एकवचन of द्वार).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 246 (dvāra-devatā and dik-nyāsa sequences)
FAQs
It lists specific named presences/guardians assigned to particular directions and especially the northern doorway—used in Vāstu planning and door-threshold ritual placement for protection and auspiciousness.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs applied knowledge like Vāstu: directional mapping, door-layout principles, and the ritual taxonomy of protective beings tied to architectural elements.
Correctly aligning and ritually acknowledging doorway guardians is treated as a protective purification measure—supporting household/temple well-being and averting inauspicious influences at entry points.