Hear now a wondrous account of the sacred forms and worship of the Lord, as revealed in the Agni Purāṇa. The śālagrāma stones, which are the very embodiment of Viṣṇu, each possess distinctive marks and features that reveal the many divine manifestations. One such form appears deep blue, like a sapphire, thick and auspicious, adorned with three lines. This is the form of Kurma, the Tortoise, who is raised on the back, marked by a whirlpool, and dark in hue. Hayagrīva, the horse-headed Lord, bears a mark resembling a goad, is blue in color, and sprinkled with dots. Vaikuṇṭha is marked by a single wheel, lotus-like and gem-like, with a line resembling a tail. The Matsya form is long, with three dots, and shines with a glass-like clarity. Śyāma Trivikrama is round, with a line on the right. Vāmana, the Dwarf, is round, very short, blue, and dotted; Śyāma Trivikrama, again, is round, with a right-side line and a dot on the left. Ananta, the infinite, is seen as a coiled serpent, bearing many marks and taking manifold forms. Damodara is thick, with a central wheel and a subtle dot at the entrance. Sudarśana is marked by a single wheel; Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa has two wheels. Chitrakra, who is Acyuta, the infallible Lord, is marked by three wheels, and so too is Trivikrama. Janārdana bears four wheels; Vāsudeva five; Pradyumna is marked by six wheels, and Sankarṣaṇa by seven. Puruṣottama has eight wheels; the Navavyūha is marked with nine; Daśāvatāra with ten, and Aniruddha with eleven. The twelvefold form, the highest, is marked by twelve wheels, and above all is Ananta, as described. The Blessed Lord then spoke of the worship of these forms: “I grant you the success of worships marked by wheels, beginning with the śālagrāma. The worship of Hari is threefold: desire-based, desireless, and mixed. Of the five forms beginning with Matsya, worship is for the fulfillment of desires, or for both desire and liberation; but for Varāha, Narasiṁha, and Vāmana, worship is for liberation alone. Listen as I describe the worship of the three beginning with the Disc at the śālagrāma: the highest worship is performed without desire for results, the lowest yields specific fruits. The middle worship is image worship, performed on the disc, the lotus, and the square, with the praṇava (Om) placed in the heart and the six limbs upon the hands and body. Having made the three sacred gestures outside the disc, one should first worship the teacher; in the east, the group for Vāyu, and in the southwest, the Creator. One should worship the Arranger and the Doer, the Remover in the south and northwest, Viṣvaksena in the northeast, and the field-guardian in the southeast. The Ṛg and other Vedas are invoked in the east at the beginning, the earth up to Ananta as the base; the seat, the lotus, and the three circles called Arka, Vandra, and Vāhvya are established. Upon a twelve-spoked seat, the śālagrāma stone is placed and worshipped, both separately and together, with one’s own seed-mantra, in proper order. Then, beginning in the east, with the Vedas and the Gāyatrī, with Jitā and others, the five are worshipped with the praṇava, and three gestures are shown. Gestures are also shown for Viṣvaksena, the disc, and the field-guardian; this first worship of the śālagrāma is said to be without desire for fruit. As before, a sixteen-spoked circle is drawn with a lotus; the teacher and others are worshipped first with conch, disc, mace, and sword. In the east and northeast, bow and arrows are assigned, and the seat is offered with the Vedas and other elements. The stone is placed with twelve spokes—now listen to the third worship. An eight-spoked lotus is drawn, the teacher and others are worshipped as before; the seat with eight spokes is given, and the stone is placed in the same way. With that, worship is performed in ten ways, and likewise with the Gāyatrī and Jitā. The Blessed Lord further declared: “Om. The form is Keśava, bearing the lotus, conch, disc, and mace. Nārāyaṇa holds conch, lotus, mace, and disc, with the disc to the right. Then Mādhava, the mace-holder, lord with conch and lotus—I bow to him. Govinda, powerful, with disc, mace, lotus, and conch. The giver of liberation, Śrīgadī, Padmī, Śaṅkhī, Viṣṇu, the disc-bearer; I honor Madhusūdana, with conch, disc, lotus, and mace. With devotion, Trivikrama, Padmagadī, Cakrī, and also Śaṅkhī. Vāmana, with conch, disc, mace, and lotus, may he always protect me. The giver of the path, Śrīdhara, Padmī, Cakraśārṅgī, and also Śaṅkhī. Padmanābha, the boon-giver, who bears the conch, lotus, discus, and mace; Damodara, holding the lotus, conch, mace, and discus—I bow to him. He, the wielder of the mace, conch, and discus, Vāsudeva, sustains the world; Sankarṣaṇa, with mace, conch, lotus, and discus, may protect you. Pradyumna, the lord, holds the mace, discus, conch, and lotus; Aniruddha, with discus, mace, conch, and lotus, may protect us. The lord of the gods, adorned with lotus and conch, glorious wielder of the mace, supreme among men; Adhokṣaja, holding lotus, mace, conch, and discus, may protect you. I bow to the god Narasiṁha, who bears the discus, lotus, mace, and conch; Acyuta, glorious wielder of the mace, lotus, discus, and conch, may protect you. In the form of a child, holding conch and mace, Upendra bears the discus and lotus; Janārdana, holding lotus, discus, conch, and mace. Hari, holding conch, lotus, and discus, bearer of the Kaumodakī mace; Kṛṣṇa, with conch, mace, lotus, and discus, grants both enjoyment and liberation to me. Vāsudeva is the primordial form; from him arose Sankarṣaṇa; from Sankarṣaṇa came Pradyumna; from Pradyumna, Aniruddha. By the distinctions beginning with Keśava, each one is threefold in order; the twelve-syllable hymn is possessed of twenty-four forms. Whoever recites or hears this, pure, attains all. Then the Lord spoke again: “I will tell you the characteristics of the ten avatāras, beginning with Matsya. Matsya takes the form of a fish; Kurma assumes the form of a tortoise. The form of a man should be made for Varāha, who bears the mace and other weapons; on the right or left, place the conch, or Lakṣmī, or the lotus.” Thus are revealed the marks, the worship, and the forms of the Lord’s incarnations and manifestations, each resplendent with their own auspicious symbols, and each worshipped in their own manner, bestowing blessings, fulfillment, and liberation upon the devoted.