Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 25
Chapter 24 — कुण्डनिर्माणादिविधिः
Procedure for Constructing the Fire-pit and Related Rites
तदद्भिस्त्रिश् च सम्प्रोक्ष्य इद्ध्मं विन्यस्य चाग्रतः प्रणीतायां सुपुष्पायां विष्णुं ध्यात्वोत्तरेण च
tadadbhistriś ca samprokṣya iddhmaṃ vinyasya cāgrataḥ praṇītāyāṃ supuṣpāyāṃ viṣṇuṃ dhyātvottareṇa ca
Mit jenem Wasser besprenge man dreimal und lege das Anzündholz vorne nieder; im Gefäß der praṇītā-Wasser, geschmückt mit schönen Blumen, meditiere man über Viṣṇu und fahre mit dem folgenden Mantra/Ritus fort.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Combines physical purification (triple sprinkling), arrangement of kindling, and Viṣṇu-dhyāna as a preparatory alignment before proceeding to the next mantra/rite in homa/pūjā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Triḥ-prokṣaṇa, idhma-vinyāsa, and Viṣṇu-dhyāna in praṇītā vessel","lookup_keywords":["triḥ-samprokṣaṇa","idhmā","praṇītā-jala","puṣpa","viṣṇu-dhyāna"],"quick_summary":"Sprinkle three times, place kindling in front, adorn the consecrated-water vessel with flowers, and meditate on Viṣṇu before continuing with the subsequent rite/mantra."}
Concept: Integration of kriyā (outer act) and dhyāna (inner focus) by invoking Viṣṇu as sustaining principle before action.
Application: Before mantras/offerings, stabilize attention through Viṣṇu-dhyāna while maintaining prescribed purification counts (three sprinklings).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Vishnu worship and preliminary purification rites)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The officiant sprinkles the area/implements three times, arranges kindling sticks before the fire, decorates the praṇītā-water vessel with flowers, and sits briefly in Viṣṇu meditation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest sprinkling water in three arcs, kindling stacked neatly before agni, flower-adorned water vessel, faint haloed Viṣṇu visualization above (subtle, symbolic), tranquil devotional tone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Viṣṇu as a small central meditative icon with gold aura above the ritual setup, rich floral decoration on the water vessel, bright agni, ornate borders and gold leaf emphasis.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, sequential instructional scene: triple sprinkling marks, idhma placement, then seated dhyāna posture; soft palette, clear ritual objects, minimal ornament for clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed flowers floating in a small vessel, priest arranging kindling, delicate depiction of meditative pause with Viṣṇu imagined as a translucent figure in the background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तदद्भिः = तत् + अद्भिः; चाग्रतः = च + अग्रतः; ध्यात्वोत्तरेण = ध्यात्वा + उत्तरेण.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 24 (Viṣṇu upāsanā within pūjā-vidhi sequence)
FAQs
It teaches samprokṣaṇa (ritual sprinkling) done three times for purification, the placement of iddhma (kindling) before the rite, and meditation on Viṣṇu connected to the praṇītā (consecrated water vessel) as part of the procedural sequence.
It preserves a precise, manual-like liturgical detail—vessels, materials (water, flowers, kindling), and ordered actions—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical temple/household ritual technique alongside its broader theological and cultural topics.
Triple sprinkling and consecrated-water usage signify purification and ritual fitness, while meditating on Viṣṇu aligns the act with divine remembrance (smaraṇa), making the worship both externally correct and internally sanctified.