Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 3
अध्याय ७३: सूर्यपूजाविधिः
Sūrya-pūjā-vidhi — The Procedure for Sun-Worship
सम्प्रोक्ष्य तज्जलैर् द्रव्यं पूर्वास्यो भानुमर्चयेत् ॐ अं हृद्वीजादि सर्वत्र पूजनं दण्डिपिङ्गलौ
samprokṣya tajjalair dravyaṃ pūrvāsyo bhānumarcayet oṃ aṃ hṛdvījādi sarvatra pūjanaṃ daṇḍipiṅgalau
Nachdem man die Ritualstoffe mit jenem Wasser besprengt hat, soll man, nach Osten gewandt, die Sonne verehren. Die Verehrung ist überall zu vollziehen, beginnend mit dem Herz-Bīja: „Oṃ aṃ“; und auch Daṇḍin und Piṅgala sind als begleitende Gottheiten zu verehren.
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Mantra-seeded Sūrya worship: prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) of materials with consecrated water, east-facing arcana, bīja beginning with ‘Oṃ aṃ’ at the heart, plus attendant-deity worship (Daṇḍin, Piṅgala).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prokṣaṇa, East-facing Sūrya-arcana, Heart-bīja ‘Oṃ aṃ’, Daṇḍin–Piṅgala Upacāra","lookup_keywords":["prokṣaṇa","oṃ aṃ","hṛd-bīja","daṇḍin","piṅgala"],"quick_summary":"Consecrate offerings by sprinkling, worship Sūrya facing east, apply the heart-seed mantra ‘Oṃ aṃ’ throughout, and honor Daṇḍin and Piṅgala as solar attendants."}
Concept: Mantra as ‘seed’ (bīja) energizing the rite; hṛdaya as the primary locus for deity-installation and worship diffusion (‘sarvatra’).
Application: In practice, begin with heart-centered bīja-japa, then extend the same mantra to offerings, limbs, and the worship-space; include parivāra-devatās to complete the maṇḍala.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Surya-archana and mantra-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Ritual-direction
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee sprinkles ritual items with sanctified water, faces east toward a radiant sun emblem, touches the heart for the bīja ‘Oṃ aṃ’, and offers worship to two attendants, Daṇḍin and Piṅgala, flanking the solar symbol.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: east-facing devotee with water-sprinkling gesture; central Sūrya-maṇḍala; two attendant figures labeled Daṇḍin and Piṅgala; rhythmic, symmetrical composition; warm reds and yellows.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Sūrya with heavy gold halo; attendants on either side; devotee performing prokṣaṇa with a small spoon; gold accents on vessels and rays; saturated palette.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: stepwise instructional scene—sprinkling, heart-touch (hṛd-nyāsa), then offering to attendants; fine detailing of implements; clear east-direction indicator.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: terrace at dawn; devotee sprinkling offerings; stylized sun disc; two attendants in courtly attire; delicate borders and naturalistic objects."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तज्जलैर् = तत् + जलैः (तद्-समास/सन्धि). भानुमर्चयेत् = भानुम् + अर्चयेत् (म् + अ). हृद्वीजादि = हृद् + बीज + आदि (द् + ब → द्व).
Related Themes: Agni Purana nyāsa and bīja-mantra discussions (where present); Agni Purana Sūrya-pūjā sequence (73.1–73.4)
FAQs
It teaches the Surya-puja sequence: purify offerings by sprinkling, face east for worship, apply/recite the bīja beginning with the heart (hṛd-bīja) using “oṃ aṃ”, and include attendant deities Daṇḍin and Piṅgala in the worship.
It preserves precise procedural ritual technology—samprokṣaṇa (aspersion purification), directional orientation, bīja-mantra usage, and subsidiary deity worship—showing the Agni Purana’s role as a practical manual alongside its mythic and doctrinal content.
Purifying the offerings and performing mantra-based worship with proper orientation is presented as a means to make the rite ritually valid and spiritually efficacious, supporting inner purification and the accrual of religious merit through correctly executed Surya-archana.