Agni Purana — Sahitya-shastra, Shloka 15
Chapter 347: One-syllable Appellations (एकाक्षराभिधानम्)
एकपद्मे ऽर्चयेदेतान्नव दुर्गाश् च पूजयेत् भगवती कात्यायनी कौशिकी चाथ चण्डिका
ekapadme 'rcayedetānnava durgāś ca pūjayet bhagavatī kātyāyanī kauśikī cātha caṇḍikā
于一朵莲华之坛图（莲花曼荼罗）中，应当供奉礼拜诸尊；并当敬礼九位难近母（Nava-Durgā，九杜尔迦），即：薄伽梵蒂（Bhagavatī）、迦底耶耶尼（Kātyāyanī）、拘尸吉（Kauśikī），以及旃提迦（Caṇḍikā）。
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Navadurgā worship within a single lotus-diagram (padma/yantra) for śakti-upāsanā, protection, and auspicious empowerment in household or temple ritual.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Navadurgā pūjā in eka-padma (single lotus yantra)","lookup_keywords":["Navadurga puja","eka padma yantra","Katyayani","Kaushiki","Chandika"],"quick_summary":"Instructs worship of the Nine Durgās arranged in one lotus-diagram; names key forms (Bhagavatī, Kātyāyanī, Kauśikī, Caṇḍikā) as objects of veneration within a unified yantric layout."}
Weapon Type: Trident/Sword (implied Durga weaponry)
Concept: Unity-in-multiplicity of Devī: many forms worshipped within one padma, indicating integrated Śakti manifesting as distinct powers.
Application: Construct/draw a lotus yantra, assign petals to Devī forms, offer flowers/incense/lamp with name-mantras; use as a structured Navarātri or protective household rite.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devi-upasana (Navadurga & Yantra-Padma worship)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single lotus yantra on an altar with nine petals/sections, each occupied by a form of Durgā; the worshipper offers flowers to each name—Bhagavatī, Kātyāyanī, Kauśikī, Caṇḍikā—within one unified padma.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: large lotus mandala filling the frame; nine Devī forms on petals with bold outlines and saturated reds; central lamp and offerings; temple-wall symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate lotus with gold-leaf petal borders; each Devī form richly jeweled with gold emboss; central Śakti radiance; offerings of flowers and lamps in foreground.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise yantra-padma diagram with labeled petals; Devī forms rendered delicately; instructional clarity showing placement and sequence of worship.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: indoor shrine scene with a lotus diagram on cloth, nine goddess figures in miniature niches around it; fine textiles, detailed offerings, and elegant architectural framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: 'rcayet = arcayet (a- elision after avagraha). etānnava = etān + nava (n-sandhi). durgāś ca = durgāḥ + ca (visarga sandhi). cātha = ca + atha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 347 (pūjā-vidhi and mantra context around Devī upāsanā); Agni Purana Devī-stotra/vrata materials elsewhere in the Purana
FAQs
It teaches a specific pūjā arrangement: worship of Devī’s forms within a single padma-maṇḍala (lotus diagram), explicitly directing Navadurgā-archana and naming key forms to be invoked.
By giving a concrete, procedural instruction for Shākta ritual—diagram-based worship (maṇḍala/yantra) plus a mapped list of goddess-forms—this chapter exemplifies the Agni Purana’s manual-like coverage of diverse religious technologies alongside other sciences.
Navadurgā worship is framed as protective and purificatory: invoking multiple fierce and beneficent Devī-forms in a structured maṇḍala is traditionally held to remove obstacles, grant siddhi/protection, and accumulate merit through correct veneration (pūjā).