Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
Jīrṇoddhāra-vidhāna
Procedure for Renovation / Replacement of Dilapidated Installations
व्यङ्गां भग्नां च शैलाढ्यां न्यसेदन्यां च पूर्ववत् संहारविधिना तत्र तत्त्वान् संहृत्य देशिकः
vyaṅgāṃ bhagnāṃ ca śailāḍhyāṃ nyasedanyāṃ ca pūrvavat saṃhāravidhinā tatra tattvān saṃhṛtya deśikaḥ
Der zelebrierende Lehrer (deśika), kundig im Ritual, soll eine andere Form/Anordnung wie zuvor einsetzen, sei sie mangelhaft, zerbrochen oder schwer wie Stein; und dort soll er nach dem vorgeschriebenen Auflösungsritus (saṃhāra-vidhi) die Tattvas (konstitutiven Prinzipien) zurückziehen und in ihren Ursprung rückabsorbieren.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purana’s ritual-technical chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Ritual decommissioning: safely dissolving an installed yantra/murti/mandala and reabsorbing invoked principles before replacement or disposal, especially when the installation is defective or damaged.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Saṃhāra-vidhi: Tattva-saṃhāra in defective/broken installations","lookup_keywords":["saṃhāra-vidhi","tattva-saṃhāra","jīrṇa-pratiṣṭhā","doṣa-bhaṅga","deśika-guru"],"quick_summary":"If an installed ritual form becomes defective or broken, the officiant performs saṃhāra-vidhi to withdraw the tattvas back into their source before re-installation or removal, preventing ritual fault (doṣa) and leakage of invoked power."}
Concept: Invoked principles (tattvas) must be ritually reabsorbed (saṃhāra) to restore ontological order before altering sacred installations.
Application: Before dismantling/repairing consecrated objects, perform formal dissolution to avoid doṣa and to maintain continuity of worship.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra: Saṃhāra-vidhi (Ritual dissolution and re-absorption in worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A guru (deśika) before a shrine performs saṃhāra-nyāsa, drawing tattvas back from a damaged ritual diagram/object; assistants hold ritual vessels and lamps; the defective installation is set aside for replacement.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, deśika in white dhoti with sacred thread, performing saṃhāra-nyāsa before a small sanctum, stylized flames and lotuses, subtle tattva-symbols dissolving inward, traditional ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central guru with halo-like prabhā, gold-leaf highlights on lamps and vessels, damaged yantra/murti shown respectfully to the side, rich reds and greens, temple arch framing the saṃhāra rite","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework and soft shading, instructional composition showing hand-gestures of nyāsa and the sequence of reabsorption, labeled tattva icons subtly placed, calm sanctum interior","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtly atelier-like ritual room, guru seated on a low platform, attendants with incense and water-pot, damaged object wrapped, delicate depiction of subtle tattvas as faint concentric motifs returning to the heart-lotus"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न्यसेदन्यां → न्यसेत् + अन्याम्; तत्त्वान् संहृत्य (anusvāra sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 67 (Jīrṇoddhāra context); Agni Purana 68 (Utsava after installation)
FAQs
It teaches saṃhāra-vidhi: how an initiated preceptor corrects or replaces an imperfect ritual installation and then performs tattva-saṃhāra—systematically withdrawing the invoked principles (tattvas) to conclude the rite without ritual fault (doṣa).
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves operational ritual technology—error-handling for damaged/defective setups and the formal closing procedure (withdrawal of tattvas). This is characteristic of the Agni Purana’s manual-like coverage of pūjā, tantra, and temple practice.
Proper dissolution (saṃhāra) prevents lingering, improperly anchored invocations and removes ritual impurity from defects or breakage, ensuring the worship concludes in purity and yields undisturbed merit (puṇya) rather than fault (doṣa).