Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 53
Agnisthāpana-vidhi (Procedure for Establishing the Sacred Fire) and Protective Īśāna-kalpa Homa Sequences
स्रुगग्रे पुष्पमारोप्य पश्चाद्वामेन पाणिना पुनः सव्येन तौ धृत्वा शङ्खसन्निभमुद्रया
srugagre puṣpamāropya paścādvāmena pāṇinā punaḥ savyena tau dhṛtvā śaṅkhasannibhamudrayā
Nachdem man eine Blume an die Spitze des sruva gesetzt hat, nimmt man ihn mit der linken Hand; dann hält man beide Geräte wieder mit der rechten Hand und verfährt mittels einer muschelähnlichen Mudrā (śaṅkha).
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Apply mudrā and hand-sequence with sruva and flower placement to seal intention (saṅkalpa) and regulate the flow of offerings in homa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śaṅkha-sannibha mudrā in homa: sruvāgre puṣpa-nyāsa and hand-transfer","lookup_keywords":["śaṅkha mudrā","sruvāgra puṣpa","mudrā-nyāsa","left hand right hand","homa upacāra"],"quick_summary":"Place a flower on the tip of the sruva, handle the implements in a prescribed left-right sequence, and proceed using a conch-like mudrā to complete the ritual action correctly."}
Concept: Mudrā as a bodily mantra: the body participates in meaning and seals the rite (kriyā-siddhi).
Application: Use consistent hand-gestures to stabilize attention and maintain procedural correctness in complex rites.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tantric ritual procedure and mudrā-nyāsa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest places a flower on the sruva tip, shifts grip from left to right hand, and forms a conch-like mudrā while facing the homa fire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, close-up of hands forming śaṅkha-sannibha mudrā, flower at sruva tip, stylized conch motif in background, warm ochres and reds","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-highlighted conch motif, priest’s hands prominently posed in mudrā, flower bright against metal ladle, ornate jewelry-like detailing on implements","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional emphasis on hand positions: left-hand hold then right-hand hold, final śaṅkha-mudrā diagrammatic clarity, soft pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined depiction of fingers and implements, flower delicately rendered, conch-shaped gesture echoed by a conch placed nearby, intricate textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: srugagre resolved as sruk-agre; puṣpamāropya split as puṣpam + āropya; paścādvāmena split as paścāt + vāmena; śaṅkhasannibhamudrayā resolved as śaṅkha-sannibha-mudrayā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 75 (mudrā-nyāsa and homa upacāra); Agni Purana mantra-mudrā discussions in ritual chapters
FAQs
It teaches a precise pūjā-handling sequence: placing a flower on the sruva’s tip, shifting grip between left and right hands, and applying a specific conch-shaped (śaṅkha-sannibha) mudrā during the ritual act.
Beyond theology, it preserves operational liturgical detail—how implements are held and which mudrās accompany actions—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s practical manual-like coverage of temple and domestic worship techniques.
Correct sequence and mudrā in pūjā are traditionally held to ensure mantra-kriyā is ‘properly sealed’ (saṃskṛta), minimizing ritual fault (doṣa) and supporting purity, focus, and intended merit (puṇya) of the offering.