Agni Purana

अष्टमांशेन गर्भस्य रथकानान्तु निर्गमः। परिधेर्गुणभागेन रथकस्तित्र कल्पयेत्

The exit for the chariot halls should be one-eighth of the inner chamber, and the three chariot halls should be made in proportion to the perimeter.

तत्तृतीयेण वा कुर्य्याद्रथकानान्तु निर्गमम्। वामत्रयं स्थापनीयं रथकत्रितये सदा

Or, the exit for the chariot halls may be a third of that; three platforms should always be established for the three chariot halls.

शिखरार्थं हि सूत्राणि चत्वारि विनिपातयेत्। शुकनाशोद्‌र्ध्वतः सूत्रं तिर्य्यग्भूतं निपातयेत्

For the tower, four threads should be laid down; above the parrot-nose, a transverse thread should be placed.

शिखरस्यार्द्धभागस्थं सिंहं तत्र तु कारयेत्। शुकनासां स्थिरीकृत्य मध्यसन्धौ निधापयेत्

A lion should be fashioned at half the height of the tower, and the parrot-noses should be fixed at the central joints.

अपरे च तता पार्श्वे तद्वत् सूत्रं निधापयेत्। तदूद्र्ध्वन्तु भवेद्वेदी सकण्ठा मनसारकम्

On the other side as well, a thread should be placed in the same way; above that, there should be an altar with a neck and a mind-like arc.

स्कन्धभग्नं न कर्त्तव्यं विकरालं तथैव च। उद्‌र्ध्वं च वेदिकामानात् कलशं परिकल्पयेत्

It should not be made with broken shoulders or deformed; above the altar, a finial should be fashioned according to the altar's measure.

विस्ताराद् द्विगुणं द्वारं कर्त्तव्यं तु सुशोभनम्। उदुम्बरौ तदूद्‌र्ध्वञ्च न्यसेच्छाखां सुमङ्गलैः

The doorway should be made twice as wide as the measure, and above it, place an auspicious branch of udumbara wood.

द्वारस्य तु चतुथांशे कार्य्यौ चण्डप्रचण्डकौ। विष्वक्‌सेनवत्सदण्डौ शिखोद्‌र्ध्वेडुम्बरे श्रियम्

At the fourth part of the doorway, Caṇḍa and Pracaṇḍa should be made; like Viṣvaksena, two staffs, and above the finial, place Śrī on the udumbara.

दिग्गजैः स्नाप्यमानान्तां घटैः साब्जां सुरूपिकाम्। प्रासादस्य चतुर्थांशैः प्राकारस्योच्छयो भवेत्

Let the beautiful form, adorned with lotuses and bathed by jars by the guardian elephants of the directions, be at the fourth part of the temple; the enclosure wall should have a height in that proportion.

प्रासादात् पादहीनस्तु गोपुरस्योच्छयोभवेत्। पञ्चहस्तस्य देवस्य एकहस्ता तु पीठिका

The gateway should be lower than the temple by a foot; for a deity of five hastas, the pedestal should be one hasta.

गारुडं मण्डपञ्चाग्रे एकं भौमादिधाम च। कुर्य्याद्धि प्रतिमायान्तु दिक्षु चाष्टासु चोपरि

In front of the pavilion, make a Garuḍa-maṇḍapa and a terrestrial abode; for the image, make eight above, one in each direction.

पूर्वं वराहं दक्षे च नृसिंहं श्रीधरं जले। उत्तरे तु हयग्रीवमाग्नेय्यां जामदग्न्यकम्

In the east, the Boar; in the south, the Man-Lion; Śrīdhara in the water; in the north, Hayagrīva; in the southeast, the son of Jamadagni.

नैर्ऋत्यां रामकं वायौ वामनं वासुदेवकम्। ईशे प्रासादरचना देया वस्वर्ककादिभिः

In the southwest, Rāma; in the northwest, Vāmana; Vāsudeva in the west; in the northeast, the arrangement of the temple should be made with Vasus, Ādityas, and others.

भगवानुवाच प्रासादे देवताः स्थाप्या वक्ष्ये ब्रह्मन् श्रृणुष्व मे। पञ्चायतनमध्ये तु वासुदेवं विवेशयेन्

The Blessed Lord said: The deities should be installed in the temple; I shall tell you, O Brāhmaṇa, listen to me. In the center of the five-shrine arrangement, Vāsudeva should be enshrined.

वामनं नृहरिञ्चाश्वशीर्षं तद्वच्च शूकरम्। आग्नेये नैर्ऋते चैव वायव्ये चेशगोचरे

Vāmana, Narahari, Aśvaśīrṣa, and likewise Śūkara should be placed in the southeast, southwest, northwest, and the domain of Īśa, respectively.

अथ नारायणं मध्ये आग्नेय्यामम्बिकां न्यसेत्। नैर्ऋत्यां भास्करं वायौ ब्रह्माणं लिङ्गमीशके

Then Nārāyaṇa in the center, Ambikā in the southeast, Bhāskara in the southwest, Brahmā in the northwest, and the Liṅga in the northeast should be installed.

अथवा रुद्ररूपन्तु अथवा नवधामसु। वासुदेवं न्यसेन्मध्ये पूर्वादौ वामवामकान्

Alternatively, the form of Rudra, or in the nine shrines, Vāsudeva should be placed in the center, and the leftmost and rightmost in the east and so on.

इन्द्रादीन् लोकपालांश्च अथवा नवधामसु। पञ्चायतनकं कुर्य्यात् मध्ये तु पुरुषोत्तमम्

The guardians of the worlds, beginning with Indra, or in the nine shrines, the five-shrine arrangement should be made, with the Supreme Person in the center.

लक्ष्मीवैश्रवणौ पूर्वं दक्षे मातृगणं न्यसेत्। स्कन्दं गणेशमीशानं सुर्य्यादीन् पश्चिमे ग्रहान्

Lakṣmī and Vaiśravaṇa in the east, the Mothers in the south, Skanda, Gaṇeśa, Īśāna, Sūrya and others, and the planets in the west should be placed.

उत्तरे दशमत्स्यादीनाग्नेय्यां चण्डिकां तथा। नैर्ॠत्यामम्बिकां स्थाप्य वायव्ये तु सरस्वतीम्

In the north, the ten forms beginning with Matsya; in the southeast, Caṇḍikā; in the southwest, Ambikā should be installed; in the northwest, Sarasvatī.

पद्मामैशे वासुदेवं मध्ये नारायणञ्च वा। त्रयोदशालये मध्ये विश्वरूपं न्यसेद्धरिम्

Padmā and Īśa in the northeast, Vāsudeva in the center, or Nārāyaṇa; in a thirteen-shrine temple, Viśvarūpa Hari should be placed in the center.

पूर्वांदौ केशवादीन् वा अन्यधामस्वयं हरिम् । मृण्मयी दारुघटिता लोहजा रत्नजा तथा

In the east and so on, Keśava and others, or in other shrines, Hari himself; the image may be made of clay, wood, metal, or jewel.

शैलजा गन्धजा चैव कौसुमी सप्तदा स्मृता। कौसुमी गन्धजा चैव मृण्मयी प्रतिमा तथा

It is said to be of seven kinds: stone, fragrant substance, and also floral; floral, fragrant, and clay images as well.

तत्‌कालपूजिताश्चैताः सर्वकामफलप्रदाः। अथ शैलमयी वक्ष्ये शिला यत्र च गृह्यते

When worshipped at the proper time, these grant all desired results. Now I shall describe the stone image, and where the stone is to be obtained.

पर्वतानामभावे च गृह्णीयाद् भूगतां शिलाम्। पाण्डरा ह्यरुणा पीता कृष्णा शस्ता तु वर्णिनाम्

If there are no mountains, one should take a stone from the ground; white, reddish, yellow, and black are the best among colors.

न यदा लभ्यते सम्यग् वर्णिनां वर्णतः शिला। वर्णाद्यापादनं तत्र जुहुयात् सिंहविद्यया

When a stone of the proper color cannot be found, one should perform the Siṃha rite to impart the desired color.

शिलायां शुक्लरेखाग्र्या कृष्णाग्र्या सिंहहोमतः। कांस्यघण्टानिनादा स्यात् पुंलिङ्गा विस्फुलिङ्गिका

If the stone has a white line at the tip, or a black tip due to the Siṃha rite, the sound of a bronze bell arises; if masculine, it emits sparks.

तन्मन्दलक्षणा स्त्री स्याद्रूपाभावान्नपुंसका। दृश्यते मण्डलं यस्यां सगर्भां तां विवर्जयेत्

If it has the marks of a circle, it is feminine; if it lacks form, it is neuter. If a circle is seen within it, one should avoid it as containing a womb.

प्रतिमार्थं वनं गत्वा वनयागं समाचरेत्। तत्र खात्वोपलिप्याथ मण्डपे तु हरिं यजेत्

For the purpose of the image, one should go to the forest and perform the forest sacrifice; there, after digging and smearing, one should worship Hari in the pavilion.