Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 29
वागीश्वरीपूजा
The Worship of Vāgīśvarī
द्वाराणि कमलं यद्वदुपकण्ठ्युतानि तु रक्तं कोणं पीतवीथी नीलं पद्मञ्चमण्डले
dvārāṇi kamalaṃ yadvadupakaṇṭhyutāni tu raktaṃ koṇaṃ pītavīthī nīlaṃ padmañcamaṇḍale
在 maṇḍala（坛城图）中，诸门应如莲花般布置，并具附属的“颈状”突起（upakaṇṭhya）。角隅部分涂红色，间隔的街道/行道涂黄色，而图中的莲花本体涂蓝色。
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s usual narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Color-coding and shaping of doors, corners, and avenues in a mandala/temple diagram to standardize auspicious layout and ritual visualization.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Mandala-dvāra-vinyāsa and varṇa-vidhi (red corners, yellow avenues, blue lotus)","lookup_keywords":["dvāra","upakaṇṭhya","raktakoṇa","pītavīthī","nīlapadma"],"quick_summary":"Arrange doors in lotus-like fashion with subsidiary neck-like projections; color corners red, avenues yellow, and the lotus blue—creating a codified visual grammar for the mandala."}
Concept: Varṇa (color) and ākṛti (form) function as ritual operators—mapping energies/zones in sacred space.
Application: When drawing/painting mandalas or planning temple diagrams, apply consistent color zoning to support visualization and ritual correctness.
Khanda Section: Vāstu-śāstra / Maṇḍala-Vidhi (Temple & Yantra/Vāstu diagrams)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A mandala with lotus-shaped door arrangements featuring small neck-like projections; corners painted red, connecting avenues painted yellow, and the central lotus painted deep blue.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural mandala, bold red corners, yellow pathways, deep blue central lotus, stylized lotus-like door motifs with small projections, thick outlines and temple palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore sacred diagram with gold relief borders, vivid red corner panels, yellow vīthī bands, blue lotus center, ornate door motifs like lotus petals, high contrast jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional painting, neat plan view with labeled colors, lotus-like doors with upakaṇṭhya projections, red corners and yellow avenues, blue lotus, precise geometry","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature plan illustration, refined pigments, red corner blocks, yellow lanes, blue lotus medallion, delicate door motifs, annotated margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्वदुपकण्ठ्युतानि = यद्वत् + उपकण्ठ्युतानि; पद्मञ्चमण्डले = पद्मम् + च + मण्डले
Related Themes: Agni Purana 319.26 (padma measures); Agni Purana 319.28 (vīthikā outside); Agni Purana 319.30 (svastika-adorned wish-fulfilling diagram)
FAQs
It gives a vāstu/maṇḍala specification: how entrances should be lotus-patterned with subsidiary offsets, and which colors to assign to corners, pathways (vīthīs), and the lotus-field within the sacred diagram.
Beyond myth and devotion, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied technical canons—here, architectural-ritual diagramming (maṇḍala), including spatial geometry (corners/paths) and standardized color-coding used in temple planning and consecratory layouts.
Correct maṇḍala layout and prescribed colors are treated as safeguards for ritual purity and efficacy—aligning the built/ritual space with sacred order so worship and consecration yield auspicious, unobstructed results.