Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 23
Chapter 360 — अव्ययवर्गाः
Groups of Indeclinables
अतर्किते तु सहसा स्यात् पुरः पुरतो ऽग्रतः स्वाहा देवहविर्दाने श्रौषट् वौषट् वषट् स्वधा
atarkite tu sahasā syāt puraḥ purato 'grataḥ svāhā devahavirdāne śrauṣaṭ vauṣaṭ vaṣaṭ svadhā
In einer unerwarteten (plötzlichen) Lage soll man unverzüglich sagen: „puraḥ, purataḥ, agrataḥ“ („vorn; zuvor; voraus“). Bei der Darbringung von Opfergaben (havis) an die Götter lautet der Ausruf „svāhā“; die rituellen Exklamationen sind „śrauṣaṭ, vauṣaṭ, vaṣaṭ“; für Opfer an die Ahnen heißt es „svadhā“.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual usage)
Primary Rasa: samanya
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुरतो ऽग्रतः = पुरतः + अग्रतः (ऽ = avagraha).
FAQs
It distinguishes the correct liturgical utterances: “svāhā” for deva-offerings, “svadhā” for pitṛ-offerings, and the śrauta exclamations “vaṣaṭ/vauṣaṭ/śrauṣaṭ” used at the moment of oblation.
By cataloging precise ritual vocabulary and its proper application, it functions like a compact manual of practice—one of the many technical domains (mantra-prayoga, yajña procedure, liturgical conventions) the Agni Purana preserves alongside other sciences.
Using the correct dedicatory calls aligns the offering with its intended recipient (devas or ancestors), supporting ritual accuracy (śuddhi) and ensuring the act bears its proper religious merit (puṇya).