Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Raṇadīkṣā (War-Consecration) — Agni Purāṇa Adhyāya 235
इष्टानिष्टे ममाचक्ष्व स्वप्ने सुप्तस्य शाश्वत यज्जाग्रतो दूरमिति पुरोधा मन्त्रमुच्चरेत्
iṣṭāniṣṭe mamācakṣva svapne suptasya śāśvata yajjāgrato dūramiti purodhā mantramuccaret
হে শাশ্বত! নিদ্রিত ব্যক্তির স্বপ্নের শুভ ও অশুভ ফল আমাকে বলুন। এভাবে জিজ্ঞাসা করে পুরোহিত মন্ত্র উচ্চারণ করবেন—“যা জাগ্রতের কাছে দূরে।”
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha; ritual prescription voiced as Agni’s teaching)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Dream-omen pacification by formally querying the deity and having the purohita recite an apotropaic mantra to avert inauspicious dream-results.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Svapna-śānti mantra: 'yajjāgrato dūram'","lookup_keywords":["svapna-śānti","purohita-mantra","aśubha-svapna","jāgrat-dūra","mantra-prayoga"],"quick_summary":"For troubling or ambiguous dreams, the rite begins with a formal query about auspicious/inauspicious outcomes; the priest then recites a protective mantra framed as distancing harm from the waking person."}
Concept: Mantra as a boundary-making act: separating the waking self from distant/inauspicious influences indicated by dream-omens.
Application: Use mantra-recitation under priestly guidance to reframe and neutralize fear from dreams, restoring mental steadiness before daily duties.
Khanda Section: Svapna-śānti & Mantra-prayoga (Dream-omens and pacificatory mantra practice)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder recounts a dream to a family priest; the priest, seated near a small altar, recites a protective mantra to distance inauspicious effects from the waking person.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, interior shrine-room, purohita in white dhoti with rudrākṣa, small homa-kuṇḍa and palm-leaf manuscript, anxious dreamer seated respectfully, warm ochres and greens, flat iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf halo around the invoked 'Śāśvata' presence, priest chanting with raised hand in japa-mudrā, ornate altar vessels, rich reds and greens, embossed gold detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional feel: priest pointing to mantra text on palm-leaf, calm domestic setting, subtle shading, minimal background clutter.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor scene with patterned carpet, priest and patron in profile, fine architectural details, manuscript and rosary, subdued palette with precise ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इष्टानिष्टे = इष्ट + अनिष्टे (द्वन्द्व); ममाचक्ष्व = मम + आचक्ष्व; यज्जाग्रतो = यत् + जाग्रतः; पुरोधा मन्त्रमुच्चरेत् = पुरोधाः + मन्त्रम् + उच्चरेत् (विसर्ग/अनुस्वार-सन्धि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 235 (svapna-śānti, mantra-prayoga context); Agni Purana sections on mantra-lakṣaṇa and prayoga (general)
FAQs
It gives a practical śānti-prayoga: when seeking the auspicious/inauspicious import of dreams, the purohita is instructed to recite a specific mantra-phrase (“yajjāgrato dūram”) as a pacificatory formula connected with dream-omens.
Alongside theology and mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied ritual technology—here, a concise operational rule for handling dream-omens through priestly mantra-recitation—showing its coverage of day-to-day religious praxis and remedial rites.
The instruction functions as a purification and pacification measure: by delegating the response to a qualified priest and anchoring it in mantra, the dream’s potential harmful karmic/omenic impact is ritually contained and redirected toward auspiciousness.