Agni Purana

ईश्वर उवाच वागीश्वरीपूजनञ्च प्रवदामि समण्डलम् । ऊहकं कालसंयुक्तं मनुं वर्णसमायुतम्।। ३१९.

Īśvara said: I will declare the worship of Vāgīśvarī, together with the maṇḍala; the subtle mantra, united with time, endowed with syllables.

निषाद ईश्वरं कार्य्यं मनुना चन्द्रसूर्यवत् । अक्षरन्न हिदेयं स्यात् ध्यायेत् कुन्देन्दुसन्निभां ।। ३१९.

The Lord is to be worshipped by the mantra, like the moon and sun; the syllables should not be concealed; one should meditate on her, resembling the white jasmine and the moon.

पञ्चाशद्वर्णमालान्तु मुक्तास्रग्दामभूषिताम् । वरदाभयाक्षसूत्रपुस्तकाढ्यां त्रिलोचनां ।। ३१९.

The garland of fifty letters, adorned with a necklace of pearls; bearing the gestures of boon and fearlessness, a rosary, and a book, and three-eyed.

लक्षं जपेन्मस्तकान्तं स्कन्धान्तं वर्णमालिकां । अकारादिक्षकारान्तां विशन्तीं मानवत् स्मरेत् ।। ३१९.

One should recite one hundred thousand times, from the beginning to the end of the head, the garland of syllables; remembering it as entering from 'a' to 'kṣa', in a human form.

कुर्य्याद् गुरुश्च दीक्षार्थं मन्त्रग्राहे तु मण्डलम् । सूर्य्याग्रमिन्दुभक्तन्तु भागाभ्यां कमलं हितं ।। ३१९.

For the purpose of initiation, the teacher should make a maṇḍala for receiving the mantra; a lotus, divided into two parts for the sun and the moon, is suitable.

वीथिका पदिका कार्य्या पद्मान्यष्टौ चतुष्पदे । वीथिका पदिका वाह्ये द्वाराणि द्विपदानि तु ।। ३१९.

Pathways and steps should be made, eight lotuses with four petals each; pathways and steps outside, and doors with two petals.

उपद्वाराणि तद्वच्च कोणवान्धं द्विपट्टिकम् । सितानि नव पद्मानि कर्णिका कनकप्रभा ।। ३१९.

Similarly, there should be side doors, and at the corners, double bands; nine white lotuses, and a central pericarp shining like gold.

केशराणि विचित्राणि कोणात्रक्तेन पूरयेत् । व्योमरेखान्तरं कृष्णं द्वाराणीन्द्रेभमानतः ।। ३१९.

The filaments should be varied, and the corners filled with red; the space between the sky-lines should be black, and the doors should resemble the form of Indra's elephant.

मध्ये सरस्वतीं पद्मेवागीशी पूर्व्वपद्मके । हृत्लेखा चित्रवागीशी गायत्री विश्वरुपया ।। ३१९.

In the middle, Sarasvatī should be visualized, as the goddess of speech in the eastern lotus; in the heart-line, the wondrous goddess of speech, Gāyatrī, in her universal form.

शाङ्करी मतिर्धुतिश्च पूर्व्वाद्या ह्रीँ स्ववीजकाः । ध्येया सरस्वतीवच्च कपिलाज्येन होमकः । संस्कृतप्राकृतकविः काव्यशास्त्रादिविद्भवेत् ।। ३१९.

Śāṅkarī, the mind, and the radiance, beginning from the east, along with the seed syllables 'hrīṃ' and others, should be meditated upon like Sarasvatī; oblation should be offered with tawny ghee. One becomes a poet, skilled in both Sanskrit and Prakrit, and knowledgeable in poetry and scripture.

सर्व्वतो भद्रकान्यष्टमण्डलानि वदे गुह । शक्तिमासाधयेत् प्राचीमिष्टायां विषुवे सुधीः ।। ३२०.

O Guha, I will describe the eight auspicious maṇḍalas; one should establish the śakti in the desired eastern direction at the equinox, with proper understanding.

चित्रास्वात्यन्तरेणाथ दृष्टसूत्रेण वा पुनः । पूर्व्वापरायतं सूत्रमास्फाल्य मद्यतोऽङ्कयेत् ।। ३२०.

Then, between Citrā and Svātī, or again with a visible thread, one should stretch a thread from east to west and mark the center.

कोटचिद्वयन्तु तन्मध्यादङ्‌कयेद्दक्षिणोत्तरम् । मध्ये द्वयं प्रकर्त्तव्यं स्फालयेद्दक्षिणोत्तरम् ।। ३२०.

From the middle of the two corners, one should mark the southern and northern directions; in the middle, two should be made, and the southern and northern lines should be stretched.

शतक्षेत्रार्द्धमानेन कोणसम्पातमादिशेत् । एवं सूत्रचतुष्कस्य स्फालनाच्चतुरस्रकम् ।। ३२०.

With half the measure of a hundred units, one should indicate the meeting of the corners; thus, by stretching four threads, a quadrangle is formed.

जायते तत्र कर्त्तव्यं भद्रस्वेदकरं शुभम् । वसुभक्तेन्दुद्विपदे क्षेत्रे वीथी च भागिका ।। ३२०.

There, one should make the auspicious bhadra-svedakara; in the field, divided into two for the Vasus and the Moon, there should be a pathway and a division.

द्वारं द्विपदिकं पद्ममानाद्वै सकपोलकम् । कोणबन्धविवित्त्रन्तु द्विपदं तत्र वर्त्तयेत् ।। ३२०.

The door should be two units, and the lotus measured accordingly, with cheeks; at the corner joints, a double band should be made there.

शुक्लं पद्मं कर्णिका तु पीता चित्रन्तु केशरम्। रक्ता वीथी तत्र कल्प्या द्वारं लोकेशरूपकं ।। ३२०.

The lotus should be white, the pericarp yellow, and the filaments varied; the pathway there should be red, and the door should have the form of the lord of the world.

रक्तकोणं विधौ नित्ये नैमित्तिकेऽव्जकं श्रृणु । असंसक्तन्तु संसक्तं द्विधाव्जं भुक्तिमुक्तिकृत् ।। ३२०.

The corner should be red in the regular and occasional rites; hear about the lotus: detached and attached, of two kinds, it grants both enjoyment and liberation.

असंसक्तं सुमुक्षूणां संसक्तं तत्त्रिधा पृथक् । बालो युवा च वृद्धश्च नामतः फलसिद्धिदाः ।। ३२०.

The detached is for those intent on liberation; the attached is of three kinds, each distinct: child, youth, and elder—so named, they grant the attainment of their respective fruits.

पद्मक्षेत्रे तु सूत्राणि दिग्विदिशु विनिक्षिपेत् । वृत्तानि पञ्चकल्पानि पद्मक्षेत्रसमानि तु ।। ३२०.

In the lotus field, threads should be placed in the cardinal and intermediate directions; five circles should be designed, each equal to the lotus field.

प्रथमे कर्णिका तत्र पुष्करैर्न्नवभिर्युता । केशराणि चतुर्व्विशद्वितीयेऽथ तृतीयके ।। ३२०.

In the first, the pericarp is there, joined with nine petals; and twenty-four filaments in the second and third.

दलसन्धिर्गजकुम्भनिभान्तर्यद्दलाग्रकम् । पञ्चमे व्योमरूपन्तु संसक्तं कमलं स्मृतं ।। ३२०.

Where the junction of the petals resembles the frontal bulge of an elephant, and the tip of the petal is attached, in the fifth, the form of space is considered to be the joined lotus.

असंसक्ते दलाग्रे तु दिग्भागैर्विस्तराद्भजेत् ।. भागद्वयपरित्यागाद्वस्वंशैर्वर्त्तयेद्दलम् ।। ३२०.

If the petal tip is unattached, divide it broadly according to the directions; by omitting two portions, form the petal with the remaining six parts.

सन्धिविस्तरसूत्रेण तन्मूलादञ्जयेद्दलम् सव्यासव्यक्रमेणैव वृद्धमेतद्भवेत्तथा ।। ३२०.

With a thread measuring the width of the junction, draw the petal from its base, proceeding alternately to the right and left, so that it increases accordingly.

अथ वा सन्धिमध्यात्तु भ्रामयेदर्द्धचन्द्रवत् । सन्धिद्वयाग्रसूत्रं वा बालपद्मन्तथा भवेत् ।। ३२०.

Or, from the middle of the junction, rotate it like a half-moon; or, with a thread from the tip of two junctions, thus is the young lotus formed.

. सन्धिसूत्रार्द्धमानेन पृष्ठतः परिवर्त्तयेत् । तीक्ष्णाग्रन्तु सुवातेन कमलं भुक्तिमुक्तिदम् ।। ३२०.

With half the measure of the junction thread, turn it from behind; with a sharp tip and a gentle wind, the lotus grants enjoyment and liberation.

मुक्तवृद्धौ च वश्यादौ बालं पद्मं समानकं । नवनाभंनवहस्तं भागैर्म्मन्त्रात्मकैश्च तत् ।। ३२०.

For the expanded and liberated forms, as well as for control, the young lotus is made equal, with a new navel and nine spans, and with portions embodying mantras.

मध्येऽव्जं पट्टिकावीजं द्वारेणाब्जस्य मानतः । कण्ठोपकण्ठमुक्तानि तद्वाह्ये वीथिका मता ।। ३२०.

In the center is the lotus, with a band as its seed; at the entrance of the lotus, measure accordingly; the neck and sub-neck pearls are outside it, and beyond that is the pathway.

पञ्चभागान्विता सा तु समन्ताद्दशभागिका । दिग्विदिक्ष्वष्ट पद्मानि द्वारपद्मं सवीथिकम् ।। ३२०.

That pathway is endowed with five parts, and all around it is of ten parts; in the directions and intermediate directions are eight lotuses, the gateway lotus with its pathway.