Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 56
Chapter 24 — कुण्डनिर्माणादिविधिः
Procedure for Constructing the Fire-pit and Related Rites
गुरुः संशिक्षयेच्छिष्यान् तैः पूज्यो नामभिर्हरिः विश्वक्सेनं यजेदीशं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम्
guruḥ saṃśikṣayecchiṣyān taiḥ pūjyo nāmabhirhariḥ viśvaksenaṃ yajedīśaṃ śaṅkhacakragadādharam
ينبغي للمعلّم أن يعلّم التلاميذ تعليمًا محكمًا؛ وعلى أيديهم يُعبَد هري بأسمائه المقدّسة. كما ينبغي عبادة فيشفكسينا (Viśvaksena)، الربّ، حامل الصدفة والقرص والهراوة.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s standard narration to a sage, commonly Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Namāvali-based worship of Hari under guru instruction; include ancillary worship of Viśvaksena as a protective/precedent deity in Vaiṣṇava ritual order.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Hari-nāmārcana and Viśvaksena worship (śaṅkha-cakra-gadādhara)","lookup_keywords":["nāmabhiḥ","Hari-pūjā","Viśvaksena","śaṅkha-cakra-gadā","guru-śikṣā"],"quick_summary":"The guru trains disciples to worship Hari through His names (namāvali), and to worship Viśvaksena—iconically bearing conch, discus, and mace—as part of Vaiṣṇava arcana protocol."}
Concept: Nāma as a primary upāsanā (nāmārcana) and the necessity of proper ritual hierarchy (āvaraṇa/guardian worship) under guru guidance.
Application: Use a structured namāvali for Hari; begin/precede with Viśvaksena worship to remove obstacles and stabilize the rite (as per tradition).
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi (Vaiṣṇava-arcana and mantra/namāvali worship)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A guru instructs disciples in namāvali worship before a Vaiṣṇava shrine; Viśvaksena is depicted as a commanding deity holding conch, discus, and mace, receiving preliminary offerings before Hari’s main worship.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Viśvaksena with śaṅkha-cakra-gadā, bold outlines, symmetrical shrine setting, disciples chanting names with rosaries/flower offerings, lamps and lotus borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Viśvaksena and Hari richly ornamented, gold-leaf on weapons and crowns, disciples offering garlands, guru pointing to a namāvali palm-leaf manuscript","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, instructional clarity: guru teaching namāvali, disciples repeating; Viśvaksena icon with clearly rendered conch/discus/mace; soft colors and refined faces","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed shrine alcove, guru and students in a semicircle reciting names, Viśvaksena standing guard with weapons, intricate textiles and floral margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Madhyamavati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संशिक्षयेच्छिष्यान्→संशिक्षयेत् + शिष्यान्; नामभिर्हरिः→नामभिः + हरिः; यजेदीशं→यजेत् + ईशम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 24.57
FAQs
It teaches a procedural principle of Vaiṣṇava pūjā: the guru trains disciples, who then worship Hari specifically through nāma-recitation (worship by names), along with worship of Viśvaksena as an attendant-deity supporting the rite.
Alongside theology, it preserves practical liturgical guidance—guru-led training, name-based worship (namāvali), and inclusion of subsidiary deities like Viśvaksena—showing the Agni Purana’s role as a ritual handbook as well as a mythic text.
Proper instruction and correct worship—especially nāma-worship of Hari with due honor to Viśvaksena—are presented as means to make the rite effective, remove impediments, and accrue devotional merit through disciplined, lineage-based practice.