Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 8
Ācāra
Right Conduct
आपोहिष्ठेति तिसृभिरिदमापस्तथैव च ततो जलाशये मग्नः कुर्यादन्तर्जलं जपं
āpohiṣṭheti tisṛbhiridamāpastathaiva ca tato jalāśaye magnaḥ kuryādantarjalaṃ japaṃ
Mit den drei Versen, die mit «Āpo hi ṣṭhā…» beginnen, und ebenso mit dem Mantra «Idam āpaḥ…», soll man sich danach in ein Wasserbecken/einen Teich versenken und unter Wasser Japa (heiliges Wiederholen) vollziehen.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Snāna-mantra prayoga: recite Āpo hi ṣṭhā (three ṛks) and Idam āpaḥ, then perform underwater japa (antarjala-japa) while immersed in a water body for intensified purification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āpaḥ-japa: Āpo hi ṣṭhā & Idam āpaḥ with antarjala-japa","lookup_keywords":["āpo hi ṣṭhā","idam āpaḥ","antarjala japa","snāna mantra","jalāśaya"],"quick_summary":"Use the Āpo hi ṣṭhā verses and Idam āpaḥ mantra during bathing; then immerse in a reservoir and perform japa beneath the water as a heightened śuddhi practice."}
Concept: Mantra and element (āpaḥ) synergy: bodily immersion supports pratyāhāra-like inwardness and intensified japa.
Application: Choose a clean water body; recite the prescribed mantras, then do brief controlled underwater japa according to capacity and safety.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Snana-mantra and Apah-japa purification rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee stands at the steps of a temple tank, recites Āpo hi ṣṭhā, then fully immerses and performs silent japa underwater; ripples, lotuses, and a calm dawn atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple tank with lotus pads, devotee half-submerged then fully immersed, stylized water patterns, warm earthy palette, lamp on the ghat","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate ghat and kalasha motifs, gold accents on water ripples and jewelry, devotee performing snāna-mantra and immersion, divine purity aura","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, step-by-step depiction: recitation at water’s edge then immersion for antarjala-japa, fine linework, soft colors, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed water surface with reflections, figure immersing near stone steps, attendants at distance, delicate flora, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: āpohiṣṭheti = आपः + उ + हि + ष्ठा + इति (मन्त्रपाठ-संयोग); tisṛbhiridam = तिसृभिः + इदम्; idamāpaḥ = इदम् + आपः; tathaiva = तथा + एव; kuryādantarjalaṃ = कुर्यात् + अन्तर्जलम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 155 (snāna-mantra and śuddhi progression)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific bathing rite: reciting the Vedic “Āpo hi ṣṭhā…” triad and the “Idam āpaḥ…” water-mantra, followed by underwater japa while immersed in a pond or reservoir.
It preserves precise, practice-oriented liturgical detail—mantra selection, sequence, and bodily procedure (immersion and japa)—showing the text’s role as a compendium of ritual technologies alongside its many other disciplines.
Water-mantra recitation coupled with immersion functions as a purification (śuddhi) practice, traditionally aimed at cleansing ritual impurity and preparing the practitioner for subsequent worship and vows.