Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 40
Agnisthāpana-vidhi (Procedure for Establishing the Sacred Fire) and Protective Īśāna-kalpa Homa Sequences
वक्त्राभिघारसन्धानां वक्त्रैकीकरणं तथा ॐ हां सद्योजाताय स्वाहा ॐ हां वामदेवाय स्वाहा ॐ हां स्वाहेत्यग्नौ घृते इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शरात्मनेति ण, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अघोराय स्वाहा ॐ तत्पुरुषाय स्वाहा ॐ हां ईशानाय स्वाहा इत्येकैकघृताहुत्या कुर्याद्वक्त्राभिघारकं
vaktrābhighārasandhānāṃ vaktraikīkaraṇaṃ tathā oṃ hāṃ sadyojātāya svāhā oṃ hāṃ vāmadevāya svāhā oṃ hāṃ svāhetyagnau ghṛte iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śarātmaneti ṇa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ aghorāya svāhā oṃ tatpuruṣāya svāhā oṃ hāṃ īśānāya svāhā ityekaikaghṛtāhutyā kuryādvaktrābhighārakaṃ
Für das Ritual namens „Verbindung der Mund-Salbungen“ (vaktrābhighāra-sandhāna) und für das „Einsmachen der Münder“ (vaktra-ekīkaraṇa) soll man Ghee als einzelne Opfergaben nacheinander ins Feuer darbringen, jeweils begleitet von den Mantras: „Oṃ hāṃ an Sadyojāta, svāhā“; „Oṃ hāṃ an Vāmadeva, svāhā“; (hier finden sich in gekennzeichneten Handschriften Varianten); „an Aghora, svāhā“; „Oṃ an Tatpuruṣa, svāhā“; und „Oṃ hāṃ an Īśāna, svāhā“. Durch diese einzeln dargebrachten Ghee-Opfer wird das Mund-Salbungsritual (vaktrābhighāraka) vollzogen.
Lord Agni (in the Agni Purana’s standard narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Śaiva homa-prayoga: performing vaktrābhighāra-sandhāna and vaktra-ekīkaraṇa through ekāhuti ghee offerings with Pañcabrahma mantras.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vaktrābhighāra-sandhāna & Vaktra-ekīkaraṇa (Pañcabrahma-ghṛtāhuti)","lookup_keywords":["vaktrābhighāra","vaktra-ekīkaraṇa","Pañcabrahma","ghṛtāhuti","Śaiva homa"],"quick_summary":"Offer single ghee oblations into Agni, each paired with a Pañcabrahma mantra (Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpuruṣa, Īśāna). This effects the ritual ‘joining’ and ‘unifying’ of Śiva’s five faces in the homa context."}
Concept: Mantra and āhuti as means to integrate multiple divine aspects into a single operative presence (ekīkaraṇa).
Application: Use sequential, one-by-one offerings to stabilize attention and invoke each mukha distinctly before integration.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Agni-karya / Homa-vidhi; Panchabrahma-mantra prayoga)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Śaiva officiant seated before a square homa-kuṇḍa, offering ghee with a sruc while reciting Pañcabrahma mantras; five subtle faces of Śiva suggested as luminous aspects above the flame, gradually merging into one.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, Śaiva priest in white dhoti before homa-kuṇḍa, tall stylized flames, five faint Śiva faces (Sadyojāta etc.) in aureole merging into one, ornate borders, sacred calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central blazing Agni with gold leaf highlights, priest offering ghee, five small haloed Śiva mukha-emblems around the flame with embossed gold, rich jewel tones, temple interior setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, instructional composition showing ladle, ghee stream, mantra labels for five faces, subtle diagrammatic arrows indicating one-by-one oblations, serene palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ritual pavilion, homa fire in copper kuṇḍa, priest and assistants, calligraphic mantra cartouches naming five faces, delicate smoke patterns forming five visages that coalesce."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वक्त्रैकीकरणम् = वक्त्र-एकीकरणम्; स्वाहेत्यग्नौ = स्वाहा इति अग्नौ; इत्येकैकघृताहुत्या = इति एक-एक-घृत-आहुत्या; कुर्याद्वक्त्राभिघारकम् = कुर्यात् वक्त्र-अभिघारकम्. Editorial notes (ङ/ण, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः) treated as apparatus, not pada-s.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 75 (Pūjā-vidhi: homa/nyāsa sequence around Pañcabrahma); Agni Purana 75.41-75.43 (vaktra-anusandhāna, ekīkaraṇa, īśāna-kalpa)
FAQs
It prescribes a homa sequence: single ghee oblations into Agni, each empowered by Panchabrahma mantras (Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpuruṣa, Īśāna) to accomplish vaktrābhighāra-sandhāna and vaktraikīkaraṇa—ritual ‘anointing/joining’ and ‘unification’ of the mouths/faces (aspects) involved in the rite.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves precise liturgical technology—mantra selection, oblation medium (ghee), delivery (into fire), and sequencing—showing the Agni Purana as a practical manual for temple/householder ritual and Shaiva mantra-prayoga.
By aligning the rite with the fivefold Śaiva principle (Pañcabrahma) through fire and ghee, the practitioner ritually harmonizes and purifies the act of worship, aiming at inner integration, removal of ritual defects, and merit (puṇya) through correctly performed homa.