Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 22
Explanation of the Vāsudeva and Related Mantras (वासुदेवादिमन्त्रनिरूपणम्)
ऋग्वेदं व्यापकं हस्ते अङ्गुलीषु यजुर्न्यसेत् तलद्वयेथर्वरूपं शिरोहृच्चरणान्तकः
ṛgvedaṃ vyāpakaṃ haste aṅgulīṣu yajurnyaset taladvayetharvarūpaṃ śirohṛccaraṇāntakaḥ
Durch Nyāsa setze man den allgegenwärtigen Ṛgveda in die Hände; den Yajurveda lege man auf die Finger. Dann, in der Gestalt des Atharvaveda, setze man ihn von Haupt und Herz bis zu den Füßen als abschließende Setzung ein.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Veda-nyāsa: sacralizing limbs by installing Ṛg, Yajus, and Atharvan as living mantra-bodies to authorize recitation and ritual action.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Veda-nyāsa Mapping: Ṛg in Hands, Yajus in Fingers, Atharvan from Head/Heart to Feet","lookup_keywords":["veda-nyasa","rigveda","yajurveda","atharvaveda","kara-anga"],"quick_summary":"Install Ṛgveda as all-pervading in the hands, Yajurveda upon the fingers, and Atharvaveda as the concluding placement spanning head and heart down to the feet, making the body a Vedic vessel."}
Concept: Vedas as embodied powers (śabda-brahman) installed into limbs; ritual competence arises from internalization, not mere external recitation.
Application: Before pūjā/japa, perform this mapping to steady attention and treat actions of hands/speech as Vedic acts.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Veda-nyasa (Vedic body-installation and ritual nyasa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual practitioner installing Vedas onto the body: hands glowing with Ṛgveda syllables, fingers inscribed with Yajur formulas, and a vertical Atharvan current descending from head and heart to the feet as final sealing.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, figure with palms bearing stylized Ṛgvedic script motifs, fingers marked with Yajur signs, a protective Atharvan band of light running from head-heart to feet, temple lamp-lit ambience, bold traditional colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embossed palms with sacred script, jeweled fingers with mantra marks, a vertical gold beam from crown through heart to feet for Atharvan, ornate borders, deep red background.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, didactic layout: hands highlighted for Ṛg, fingers for Yajus, central axis line for Atharvan from head/heart to feet, neat composition, soft tones, clarity of placement.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-priest seated with open manuscript, luminous calligraphy appearing on palms and fingers, a subtle protective light column down the body, fine detailing and muted elegance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऋग्वेदं = ऋक्-वेदम्; यजुर्न्यसेत् = यजुः + न्यसेत्; तलद्वयेथर्वरूपं = तल-द्वये + अथर्व-रूपम्; शिरोहृच्चरणान्तकः = शिरः-हृत्-चरण-अन्तकः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 25.20-25.21 (kara/hṛdaya nyāsa sequence); Agni Purana 25.23 (bhūta-śuddhi element placements)
FAQs
It teaches a Veda-nyāsa sequence: installing the Ṛgveda in the hands, the Yajurveda on the fingers, and the Atharvaveda as a head–heart–to–feet body-placement to complete the ritual energization of the practitioner.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual technology—precise nyāsa mappings and liturgical body-correlation methods—showing it functions as a handbook of worship procedures alongside its many other disciplines.
Nyāsa sacralizes the body as a ritual vessel by internalizing Vedic power; it is traditionally understood to purify the practitioner, stabilize mantra efficacy, and align the limbs and vital centers with sacred sound for successful worship.