Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 33
Chapter 59 — अधिवासनकथनं
Adhivāsana: The Rite of Inviting and Stabilizing Hari’s Presence
शिरोघ्राणललाटेषु मुखकण्ठहृदि क्रमात् भुजयोर्जङ्घयोरङ्घ्य्रोः केशवं शिरसि न्यसेत्
śiroghrāṇalalāṭeṣu mukhakaṇṭhahṛdi kramāt bhujayorjaṅghayoraṅghyroḥ keśavaṃ śirasi nyaset
In rechter Reihenfolge: auf Kopf, Nase und Stirn; auf Gesicht, Kehle und Herz; auf beide Arme, beide Unterschenkel und beide Füße — vollziehe man den Nyāsa, indem man Keśava auf dem Haupt einsetzt.
Lord Agni (narrating ritual procedure to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Provides anga-nyasa mapping of Vaishnava names onto body loci in sequence, beginning with Keśava on the head, for sanctifying the practitioner and/or the icon.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṅga-nyāsa sequence with Keśava (head-first mapping)","lookup_keywords":["anga-nyasa","keśava","śiras-nāsa-lalāṭa","hṛdaya-nyasa","vaiṣṇava-nāma"],"quick_summary":"Perform nyāsa in order across head, nose, forehead; face, throat, heart; arms, shanks, feet—placing Keśava at the head to establish the divine body-map."}
Concept: The body is ritualized as a divine field (deha as mantra-adhāra) through ordered placement of names.
Application: Use before japa/puja to steady attention and ‘seal’ the senses and limbs into a Vaishnava devotional configuration.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Vaishnava Nyasa / Anga-nyasa and Kara-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee/priest touching specific body points in sequence—head, nose, forehead, face, throat, heart, arms, shanks, feet—while mentally installing the name Keśava at the head and continuing the mapping.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, frontal figure of priest with highlighted nyasa points, subtle lotus markers on each locus, Vishnu aura behind, bold outlines and traditional pigments.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central standing devotee with gold halo, small gold-labeled body points, Vishnu emblem motifs (conch, discus) around, ornate border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate, clean annotations of loci (śiras, nāsā, lalāṭa, mukha, kaṇṭha, hṛd, bāhu, jaṅghā, aṅghri), priest demonstrating nyasa mudras.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, elegant figure in profile touching forehead and heart, fine detailing of garments, faint calligraphy of ‘Keśava’ near the head, serene interior setting."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śiroghrāṇalalāṭeṣu is a dvandva compound; bhujayorjaṅghayoraṅghyroḥ → bhujayoḥ + jaṅghayoḥ + aṅghyoḥ (visarga/ḥ before j- often written without separation).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 59.34 (continuation with Nārāyaṇa, Mādhava, Govinda, Viṣṇu)
FAQs
It teaches Viṣṇu-mantra nyāsa: the practitioner ritually “installs” the divine name Keśava on specific body-points (head, facial points, heart, arms, legs, feet) in a prescribed sequence as part of pūjā.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical liturgical technology—precise body-location mapping for mantras (nyāsa), a hallmark of systematic ritual manuals embedded within Purāṇic literature.
Nyāsa sacralizes the body as a vessel of Viṣṇu’s presence, supporting purification, concentration, and devotional identity—treating the worshipper’s limbs as ritually aligned with the deity for effective worship.