Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 7
अध्याय १ — यजुर्विधानम्
Agni Purana, Chapter 259: Yajur-vidhāna
वश्यकर्मणि शाखोढवासापामार्गमेव च विषासृङ्मिश्रसमिधो व्याधिघातस्य भार्गव
vaśyakarmaṇi śākhoḍhavāsāpāmārgameva ca viṣāsṛṅmiśrasamidho vyādhighātasya bhārgava
في أعمال الفَشْيَكَرما (vaśyakarma) الخاصة بالإخضاع، تُستعمل عيدانُ القربان (samidh) من śākhōḍha وvāsa وapāmārga. ولإهلاك المرض، يا بهارغافا (Bhārgava)، تُستعمل عيدانُ القربان الممزوجة بالسمّ والدم.
Lord Agni (instructing a Bhārgava interlocutor within the chapter’s ritual discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Abhicāra and protective/curative homa protocols: selecting specific samidh woods for vaśīkaraṇa, and aggressive ‘vyādhi-ghāta’ rites using poison-and-blood mixed fuel (as stated).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vaśīkaraṇa samidh & vyādhi-ghāta samidh (viṣa-asṛk-miśra)","lookup_keywords":["vaśyakarma","samidh","apāmārga","abhicāra","vyādhi-ghāta"],"quick_summary":"The verse assigns particular fuel-sticks for subjugation rites and prescribes a harsher mixture (poison and blood) for disease-destruction rites, reflecting the text’s catalog of tantric-ritual correspondences."}
Concept: Ritual technology differentiates aims (vaśīkaraṇa vs vyādhi-ghāta) by material selection, implying a doctrine of dravya-śakti (power inhering in substances when ritually deployed).
Application: In textual terms, choose samidh according to intended rite; ethically, treat abhichāra prescriptions as historically descriptive and subject to dharmic restraint.
Khanda Section: Tantra-Mantra-Karma (Abhichara / Vashikarana and Protective Rites)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A darker-toned homa scene: bundles of named samidh sticks laid out for vaśīkaraṇa; a separate, ominous bundle marked as mixed with poison and blood for ‘vyādhi-ghāta’, with the priest in stern concentration.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic chiaroscuro within temple setting, priest near homa-kuṇḍa, three labeled samidh bundles (śākhōḍha, vāsa, apāmārga), and a separate darker bundle indicating viṣa-asṛk-miśra, restrained symbolism rather than gore.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, heavy gold on fire and vessels, contrasting dark pigments for the ‘abhicāra’ bundle, priest with intense gaze, ritual implements meticulously rendered, ornamental frame emphasizing solemnity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, schematic instructional depiction: labeled samidh types arranged on a mat, arrows showing which bundle is used for vaśyakarma vs vyādhi-ghāta, clean lines and minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night-time ritual pavilion, attendants holding bundles of twigs, physician-priest figure, subtle visual codes for ‘poison/blood mixture’ via colored markings on sticks, detailed flora rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अपामार्गमेव = अपामार्गम् + एव; विषासृङ्मिश्रसमिधो = विषासृक् + मिश्र + समिधः (क् + म् → ङ्म्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 259 (abhicāra/vaśīkaraṇa section)
FAQs
It specifies the exact homa-fuels (samidh) for two applications: vashikarana (subjugation) using śākhōḍha, vāsa, and apāmārga; and vyādhi-ghāta (disease-destruction) using samidh combined with poison and blood.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s practical cataloging of specialized ritual technologies—linking materia (plants, fuels, additives) to specific outcomes (control rites and therapeutic/protective aims), alongside its many other domains like polity, medicine, and arts.
Within the text’s ritual framework, correctly matched materials and fire-offerings are presented as causally effective (karma-sādhana) for producing intended results—either influencing others (vaśya) or removing afflictions (vyādhi), emphasizing disciplined, rule-bound ritual action.