Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 46
Chapter 24 — कुण्डनिर्माणादिविधिः
Procedure for Constructing the Fire-pit and Related Rites
प्लावयेद्वारिणा भस्म संसारं वार्मयंस्मरेतप्_२४०४५च्द्तत्र शक्तिं न्यसेत् पश्चात् पार्थिवीं बीजसञ्ज्ञिकाम् तन्मात्राभिः समस्ताभिः संवृतं पार्थिवं शुभम्
plāvayedvāriṇā bhasma saṃsāraṃ vārmayaṃsmaretap_24045cdtatra śaktiṃ nyaset paścāt pārthivīṃ bījasañjñikām tanmātrābhiḥ samastābhiḥ saṃvṛtaṃ pārthivaṃ śubham
يُبلَّل الرماد بالماء ويُتأمَّل العالم الطقسي على أنه مؤلَّف من الماء. هناك يُثبَّت (nyāsa) أولًا القوّة (شاكتي Śakti)؛ ثم يُثبَّت عنصر الأرض المعيَّن بمقطعِه البذري. وهكذا يقوم مبدأ الأرض المبارك، مُحاطًا بجميع التانماترا (العناصر اللطيفة).
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Elemental reconstitution in bhūta-śuddhi: after ash-state, moisten with water, install śakti and earth bīja, and contemplate tanmātrā-envelopment to stabilize the reconstructed subtle body/mandala.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bhūta-nyāsa after Incineration: Āpa-plāvana, Śakti-nyāsa, and Pārthiva-bīja with Tanmātrā-āvaraṇa","lookup_keywords":["āpaḥ","plāvana","śakti-nyāsa","pārthiva-bīja","tanmātrā"],"quick_summary":"After reducing all to ash, reintroduce the water principle by moistening, then install Śakti and the earth element via its bīja; contemplate the earth-tattva as auspicious and enclosed by all tanmātrās for a complete purified embodiment."}
Concept: Ritual cosmogenesis within the practitioner: from dissolution (ash) to re-embodiment through tattva-nyāsa, with Śakti as the activating principle and tanmātrās as subtle coverings.
Application: Perform a clear inner sequence: (1) feel cooling āpaḥ pervading ash, (2) place śakti at the intended locus (heart/navel/mandala center per paddhati), (3) place earth bīja and sense stability/grounding, (4) contemplate tanmātrā layers to refine perception.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra-Mantra-Nyasa (Bhuta-shuddhi and Panchabhuta-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An ash mound is gently moistened by ritual water; a radiant Śakti point is installed, then a stable earth-mandala forms, surrounded by subtle tanmātrā rings like translucent layers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest-yogin sprinkling water, ash turning into a brown-gold earth disc, central red Śakti bindu, concentric translucent rings for tanmātrās, ornamental temple motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-embossed earth mandala with central Śakti gem-like bindu, water droplets rendered as pearls, concentric aura rings, rich gold work and deep colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, schematic mandala: ash → water-moistened → Śakti installed → earth tattva; labeled concentric tanmātrā layers, clean instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined ritual scene with sprinkling vessel, subtle concentric halos around a forming earth-disc, delicate calligraphy for bīja and tattva names"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: plāvayedvāriṇā → plāvayet vāriṇā. The segment “vārmayaṃsmaretap_24045cd” appears corrupt; parsed as vārmayam + smaret, with ap_24045cd ignored as editorial artifact.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 24 (bhūta-śuddhi and pañcabhūta-nyāsa progression)
FAQs
It teaches a Bhūtaśuddhi-style step: wetting ash with water, visualizing the cosmos as water-based, then performing nyāsa of Śakti and the earth-tattva via its bīja-mantra, with the earth-principle understood as wrapped by the tanmātrās.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves precise ritual technology—visualization (bhāvanā), nyāsa mechanics, and Sāṃkhya-style tattva/tanmātrā mapping—showing the text’s coverage of practical Tantra-inflected pūjā methods.
Elemental purification and nyāsa are intended to consecrate the practitioner’s body-mind as a fit vessel for worship, reducing impurity (mala) and aligning the microcosm with the sanctified cosmic order invoked in the rite.