Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 23 — पूजाविधिकथनम्
The Account of the Rules of Worship
धर्मं ज्ञानं च वैराग्यमैश्वर्यं वह्निदिङ्मुखाः अधर्मादीनि गात्राणि पूर्वादौ योगपीठके
dharmaṃ jñānaṃ ca vairāgyamaiśvaryaṃ vahnidiṅmukhāḥ adharmādīni gātrāṇi pūrvādau yogapīṭhake
应将法（dharma）、智（jñāna）、离欲（vairāgya）与自在主权（aiśvarya）安置于火方之面及其余诸方之面；而非法（adharma）等则作为诸肢体，自东方起次第安置于瑜伽座（yogapīṭha）之上。
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s ritual-yogic schema to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Directional nyāsa on the yogapīṭha: mapping virtues (dharma, jñāna, vairāgya, aiśvarya) to dik-faces and mapping their opposites as limbs to stabilize visualization and ritual purity before pūjā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Yogapīṭha-diknyāsa of virtues and limbs","lookup_keywords":["yogapitha","diknyasa","dharma-jnana-vairagya-aishvarya","adharma","anganyasa"],"quick_summary":"Assign dharma–jñāna–vairāgya–aiśvarya to the directional faces (beginning with the fire-direction) and place adharma etc. as limbs from the east on the yogic seat, creating a moral-cosmic map for stable worship."}
Concept: Ethical-gnostic qualities are treated as spatial powers; their placement externalizes inner cultivation and guards against adharma through ritual cognition.
Application: Use nyāsa as a checklist: establish dharma/jñāna/vairāgya/aiśvarya first, then consciously reject their opposites while entering worship.
Khanda Section: Yoga-vidya / Devata-Anganyasa and Yogapitha (Tantric-ritual mapping of virtues and directions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual yogapīṭha diagram with directional faces; virtues inscribed at the fire-direction and other quarters, and limbs labeled from the east with adharma etc., shown as a tantric mapping around a central seat.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy reds and greens, a square yogapīṭha with dik-faces, Sanskrit labels for dharma jñāna vairāgya aiśvarya, subtle flame motif for agni-direction, priest performing nyāsa gestures","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf borders, stylized mandala-yogapīṭha on a pedestal, embossed quarter-panels with virtue inscriptions, rich ornamentation, lamp-lit sanctum ambience","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework instructional diagram: yogapīṭha with compass directions, labeled placements for virtues and limb-assignments, a sādhaka seated doing kara-nyāsa","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly precision: a scholar-priest over a painted mandala on the floor, directional cartouches naming virtues, delicate architectural interior, fine calligraphy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वैराग्यमैश्वर्यम् = वैराग्यम् + ऐश्वर्यम्; वह्निदिङ्मुखाः = वह्नि + दिक् + मुखाः; अधर्मादीनि = अधर्म + आदीनि; पूर्वादौ = पूर्व + आदौ; योगपीठके = योग + पीठके
Related Themes: Agni Purana 23 (Yoga-vidyā: nyāsa, yogapīṭha, maṇḍala-pūjā sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a nyāsa-style assignment on the yogapīṭha: placing core virtues (dharma, jñāna, vairāgya, aiśvarya) into directional “faces,” and mapping opposing factors (starting with adharma) onto the limbs as part of a ritual-yogic diagram practice.
Beyond narrative theology, it preserves applied ritual-technology—directional mandala logic, yogapīṭha construction, and virtue/limb correspondences—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical yoga-tantra procedures alongside dharma and philosophy.
By ritually installing dharma and allied powers into the directional field and relegating adharma to a controlled limb-mapping, the practitioner symbolically orders the inner body-mind cosmos, supporting purification, steadiness in practice, and alignment with dharmic merit.