Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 21
Worship of Gaurī and Others (Gauryādi-pūjā) — Mantra, Maṇḍala, Mudrā, Homa, and Mṛtyuñjaya Kalaśa-Rite
अष्टलक्षैश् च वाक्सिद्धिर्देवाद्या वशमाप्नुयुः न निवेद्य न चास्नीयाद्वामहस्तेन चार्चयेत्
aṣṭalakṣaiś ca vāksiddhirdevādyā vaśamāpnuyuḥ na nivedya na cāsnīyādvāmahastena cārcayet
بجَپَا مقدارها ثمانية لاك (800,000 تكرار) تُنال «فاك-سِدْهي» (vāk-siddhi) أي كمالُ سلطانِ الكلام، وحتى الآلهةُ ونحوُهم يقعون تحت السيطرة. ولا ينبغي تقديم nivedya ولا الأكل، ولا تُؤدَّى العبادة باليد اليسرى.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Japa-saṅkhyā discipline (8 lakhs) for vāk-siddhi and vaśīkaraṇa; includes niyamas: avoid offering/naivedya and avoid eating during the observance; worship not to be done with the left hand.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṣṭa-lakṣa-japa for vāk-siddhi with niyamas (fasting/abstinence; right-hand worship)","lookup_keywords":["aṣṭa-lakṣa-japa","vāk-siddhi","vaśīkaraṇa","naivedya-tyāga","vāmā-hasta-niṣedha"],"quick_summary":"Eight-lakh repetitions are prescribed for mastery of speech and compelling influence; the sādhaka follows restraints—no eating and no offering/naivedya—and maintains right-hand ritual propriety."}
Concept: Siddhi arises from saṅkhyā (count), niyama (restraint), and śuddhi (proper conduct), not from casual ritualism.
Application: Design a japa regimen with a fixed daily quota to reach 800,000; maintain consistent purity rules and right-hand ritual etiquette throughout the vrata.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-sadhana and ritual discipline)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka with a japa-mālā counts repetitions beside a small altar, maintaining fasting; offerings are withheld; the right hand performs ācamana/archana gestures while the left remains inactive; a tally board marks progress toward eight lakhs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ascetic figure seated in meditation with mālā, minimal altar, visual tally marks, subdued lamp glow, emphasis on restraint and purity, right-hand gesture highlighted","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold detailing on mālā and altar vessels, serene sādhaka with right-hand in worship mudrā, symbolic ‘8,00,000’ count shown as stylized beads/marks, devotional austerity mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional layout: mālā counting, daily quota chart, right-hand archana, crossed-out icons for food and naivedya, clean lines and legible ritual tools","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-ascetic in a quiet chamber with rosary and ledger-like count sheet, attendants absent to stress solitude, delicate rendering of hands showing right-hand action"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अष्टलक्षैश् → अष्टलक्षैः; वाक्सिद्धिर्देवाद्या → वाक्सिद्धिः देवाद्याः; वशमाप्नुयुः → वशम् आप्नुयुः; चास्नीयाद्वामहस्तेन → च अस्नीयात् वामहस्तेन; चार्चयेत् → च अर्चयेत्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 325 (japa counts and siddhi-fruits; ritual do’s/don’ts); Agni Purana mantra-sādhana sections on niyama and purity
FAQs
It specifies a japa-count benchmark (eight lakhs) for attaining vāk-siddhi and prescribes strict ācāra: avoid offering/naivedya and eating during the observance, and do not worship using the left hand.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical sādhanā-technology: numeric japa targets, expected results (siddhi), and concrete ritual do’s and don’ts—typical of its wide-ranging, manual-like coverage of worship procedures.
The verse frames siddhi as dependent on disciplined purity and restraint (niyama); correct ritual etiquette (e.g., right-hand worship) and controlled consumption are treated as conditions that protect the rite’s sanctity and efficacy.