48 - Adoration of twentyfour forms of Vishnu

The Lord said:

1. Keśhava of the form of (syllable) Om bears the lotus, conch, disc and mace. Nårāyaṇa (bears) the conch, lotus, mace and disc. Circumambulation to Him.

2. Then I salute Mädhava, who bears the mace, disc, conch and lotus. Govinda wields the disc, the Kaumodaki (name of a mace), lotus and conch.

3. Vishņu, the bearer of the disc, the mace, lotus and conch is the bestower of emancipation. I salute Madhusudana, who bears the conch, disc, lotus and mace.

4. (I prostrate) with devotion (at the feet of) Trivikrama who bears the lotus, mace, disc and conch. May Vamana, the bearer of the conch, disc, mace and lotus protect me always.

5. Sridhara who holds a lotus, disc, bow and also the conch yields emancipation. Hrushīkeśa wields the mace, disc, lotus and conch. May He protect us.

6. And Padmanabha (is one) who yields boons and who holds the conch, lotus, disc and mace, (I salute him). Dämodara (is one) who holds a lotus, conch, mace and disc. I salute him.

7. May Vasudeva, who wields a mace, conch, disc and lotus (protect) the universe. May Sankarshaņa, who holds a mace, conch, lotus and disc protect us.

8. Lord Pradyumna is one who holds a mace, disc, conch and mace as well as a lotus. May Aniruddha, who wields the disc, mace, conch and lotus protect us.

9. May Purushottama, the Lord of celestials, who holds disc, lotus, conch and mace (protect you). May Adhokshaja who wields lotus, mace, conch and disc protect you.

10. I salute that Lord Nrusimha, who wields disc, lotus, mace and conch. May Achyuta, who holds mace, lotus, disc. and conch, protect you all.

11. So also (may) Upendra, who is of the form of a child and (who holds) the disc and lotus, (protect you). And (may) Janardana, who wields lotus, disc, conch and mace (protect you);

12. May Hari, who holds conch, lotus, disc as well as (mace) kaumodaki yield me enjoyment and emancipation. May Krishņa, who holds conch, mace, lotus and disc give enjoyment and emancipation.

13. The first manifestation was that of Vasudeva. Then Sankarshaņa manifested. Pradyumna manifested from Sankarshaņa. Aniruddha appeared from Pradyumna.

14. Each one of the (above) forms was divided into three forms such as Keśhava and others. One who reads or hears this hymn consisting of twelve letters on the twenty-four forms gets free from impurity and gets all things.

Summary of chapter 48 of the Agni Purāṇa is as follows:

The forty-eighth chapter describes the construction of the gopura (gateway tower) and the concentric prākāra-s (enclosure walls) that define the sacred precincts of a temple. The number of prākāra-s — from one to seven — corresponds to the temple's size and the deity's cosmic rank. The proportional rules governing the gopura's height relative to its base width, the tāla-system for its śikhara, and the placement of guardian deities (dvārapāla-s) at each gateway are given. The stucco images (stucco) and carvings to be placed on the gopura's walls — depicting scenes from the deity's narratives and the divine world — are described. The chapter establishes the enclosure wall system as a graduated transition from the profane world to the sacred presence of the deity, each prākāra crossing a threshold of increasing sanctity.