Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 31
Tvaritā-mūla-mantra and Related Details
Dīkṣā, Maṇḍala, Nyāsa, Japa, Homa, Siddhi, Mokṣa
पटे वा प्रतिमायां वा शीघ्रां वै स्थण्डिले यजेत् शतं सहस्रमयुतं जपे होमे प्रकीर्तितम्
paṭe vā pratimāyāṃ vā śīghrāṃ vai sthaṇḍile yajet śataṃ sahasramayutaṃ jape home prakīrtitam
পট (চিত্ৰিত দেৱৰূপ) বা প্ৰতিমাৰ সন্মুখত, অথবা স্থণ্ডিল (প্ৰস্তুত যজ্ঞভূমি) ওপৰত শীঘ্ৰে পূজা কৰা উচিত। জপ আৰু হোমৰ বাবে সংখ্যা—এশ, এক হাজাৰ আৰু দহ হাজাৰ—বুলি কোৱা হৈছে।
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Choose an appropriate worship support—painted icon, installed image, or ritual ground—and follow declared japa/homa counts (100/1000/10000) for effective practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pūjā-ādhāra options (paṭa/pratimā/sthaṇḍila) and japa-homa saṅkhyā","lookup_keywords":["paṭa-pūjā","pratimā-pūjā","sthaṇḍila","japa-saṅkhyā","homa-saṅkhyā"],"quick_summary":"Worship may be done before a painted icon, an image, or on a prepared ritual ground; the text standardizes practice by prescribing graded counts for japa and homa."}
Concept: Ritual pragmatics: multiple valid supports for devotion; standardization through count (saṅkhyā) makes practice transferable across settings.
Application: If no temple image is available, use a paṭa; if neither is available, prepare a clean sthaṇḍila—then execute japa/homa with the declared graded counts.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Murti/Pata-pratishtha and Japa-Homa prayoga)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three alternative worship setups shown side-by-side: a painted icon on a stand, a sculpted image on a pedestal, and a neatly drawn sthaṇḍila on the ground; a practitioner performs japa and homa with indicated graded counts.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych: paṭa icon on wooden frame, pratimā on pedestal, sthaṇḍila drawn with ritual lines; devotee with mālā and small homa fire; flat colors, bold outlines, temple-ritual ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central pratimā with gold foil ornaments; side panels show paṭa painting and sthaṇḍila diagram; devotee offering into homa; rich gold work and ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional composition emphasizing clarity—cleanly rendered paṭa, pratimā, and sthaṇḍila geometry; devotee seated with mālā; subtle labels implied by arrangement, fine shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: atelier-like shrine room with a painted icon, a small statue, and a prepared ground-altar; practitioner performing japa; delicate architectural details, patterned floor, refined linework"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sarasvatī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sahasramayutaṃ treated as a dvandva compound; prakīrtitam agrees with implied 'etat' (this is stated).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 310 (pūjā-vidhi; japa-homa prayoga)
FAQs
It gives a practical prayoga rule: worship may be done via paṭa (painted icon), pratimā (image), or a sthaṇḍila (prepared ritual ground), and it specifies standard quantitative counts for japa and homa—100, 1,000, and 10,000.
By codifying operational details—acceptable worship media (cloth-icon, idol, or ground-altar) and numerical standards for mantra-repetition and fire-offering—it functions like a ritual manual embedded inside a Purana, illustrating the text’s wide-ranging, practitioner-focused coverage.
It emphasizes disciplined, rule-based worship: correct locus (paṭa/pratimā/sthaṇḍila) and measured japa–homa counts are presented as merit-generating and purifying, aligning devotion with prescribed ritual order (vidhi).