Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 6
Chapter 290 — गजशान्तिः
Gaja-śānti: Elephant-Pacification Rite
स्थण्डिले कमले मध्ये विष्णुं लक्ष्मीञ्च केशरे ब्रह्माणं भास्करं पृथ्वीं यजेत् स्कन्दं ह्य् अनन्तकं
sthaṇḍile kamale madhye viṣṇuṃ lakṣmīñca keśare brahmāṇaṃ bhāskaraṃ pṛthvīṃ yajet skandaṃ hy anantakaṃ
在仪式坛地上，于莲华曼荼罗之中，应礼拜毗湿奴安置于中央；吉祥天女拉克什米置于花心（keśara）；并复礼拜梵天、日神（Bhāskara）、地母（Pṛthvī）、战神斯甘达与阿难陀迦。
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa framing)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Padma-maṇḍala/yantra-racana meṃ devatā-nyāsa karke pūjā-krama sthāpit karna (kendra, keśara, dala-ādi sthāna-nirdhāraṇa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Padma-maṇḍale Viṣṇu–Lakṣmī-ādi devatā-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["padma-mandala","devata-nyasa","Vishnu","Lakshmi","sthandila-puja"],"quick_summary":"Sthaṇḍila par padma-yantra meṃ kendra meṃ Viṣṇu, keśara meṃ Lakṣmī, tathā anya devatāoṃ ko nirdiṣṭa sthānoṃ par āvāhya-yajana kī vidhi batāī gayī hai."}
Concept: Maṇḍala meṃ devatā-krama se jagat-tattva (pṛthvī, sūrya) aur īśvara-tattva (Viṣṇu) kā saṃyojana.
Application: Pūjā meṃ kendra-bindu ko īṣṭa-devatā ke rūpa meṃ sthāpit karke anya tattvoṃ ko parikara-rūpa se nyasta karna.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mandala/Padma-puja and Devata-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Ritual ground with a drawn lotus-maṇḍala; Viṣṇu in the center, Lakṣmī on the pericarp, and surrounding placements for Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, and Ananta.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy pigments, padma-yantra on sthaṇḍila, central Viṣṇu with conch-disc, Lakṣmī on keśara, surrounding devatās as small icons, ritual priest at edge, sacred geometry emphasized","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold foil highlights on lotus diagram, central Viṣṇu richly ornamented, Lakṣmī seated on pericarp ring, small medallion icons for Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, Ananta around, deep red background","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing instructional lotus-maṇḍala layout, labeled positions (kendra/keśara/dala), subdued colors, priest drawing with stylus and rice-powder","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down view of ritual courtyard, finely detailed lotus diagram, central Viṣṇu icon, attendants placing offerings at marked nodes, delicate borders and calligraphy cartouches"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लक्ष्मीञ्च = लक्ष्मीम् + च; ह्य् = हि (before vowel, often written hy).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 290 (padma/maṇḍala-nyāsa-krama)
FAQs
It gives a precise padma-maṇḍala (lotus-diagram) placement rule: Viṣṇu is installed in the center, Lakṣmī in the keśara (pericarp/inner ring), with additional worship of Brahmā, Sūrya, Pṛthvī, Skanda, and Anantaka as part of the same ritual layout.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical liturgical engineering—how to construct a sacred diagram, assign deities to specific loci, and perform multi-deity worship in an ordered sequence—showing its role as a manual of ritual technology alongside other sciences.
Correctly placing and worshiping deities in a consecrated lotus-maṇḍala is taught as a harmonizing act: it aligns the worshipper with cosmic order (Viṣṇu-centered), invokes prosperity (Lakṣmī), and seeks protection and stability through the accompanying deities, supporting purification and merit through properly performed pūjā.