Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 45
Chapter 83 — निर्वाणदीक्षाकथनम्
Description of the Nirvāṇa Initiation
कुम्भमाज्येनेति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः निदध्यान् पूर्ववद्धृदा इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः हृदा सम्भोजनं दत्वा पूतैर् आचामयेज्जलैः दन्तकाष्ठं हृदा कृत्वा प्रक्षिपेच्छोभने शुभं
kumbhamājyeneti ga, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ nidadhyān pūrvavaddhṛdā iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ hṛdā sambhojanaṃ datvā pūtair ācāmayejjalaiḥ dantakāṣṭhaṃ hṛdā kṛtvā prakṣipecchobhane śubhaṃ
Mit dem Herzen (hṛdā) soll er die vorgeschriebene Opfergabe darbringen—(einige Handschriften lesen) „(der Krug) mit Ghee“—und wie zuvor meditieren (auch eine markierte Nebenlesart ist überliefert). Danach soll er mit dem Herzen die Gabe für das ācamana (rituellen Mundspülung) darbringen und mit gereinigtem Wasser spülen. Nachdem er das Zahn-Hölzchen (dantakāṣṭha) innerlich geweiht hat, soll er es an einen schönen, glückverheißenden Ort werfen.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Daily śauca: mantra/mental-intention (hṛdā) consecration of offerings, ācamana with purified water, and ritual handling/disposal of the tooth-stick (dantakāṣṭha).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ācamana and dantakāṣṭha consecration/disposal with hṛdā (mental mantra)","lookup_keywords":["ācamana","śauca","hṛdā","dantakāṣṭha","pūta-jala"],"quick_summary":"Perform ācamana using purified water after mentally/mantrically offering it; consecrate the tooth-stick by intention/mantra and discard it in a clean, auspicious place, following the marked textual variants where applicable."}
Concept: Inner intention (hṛdā) sacralizes ordinary acts (rinsing, brushing), making daily hygiene a mindful ritual.
Application: Integrate mantra/attention into daily purification; treat bodily maintenance as part of dharmic discipline.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Ācamana, Śauca, and daily purification rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner performs ācamana with a small water vessel, then consecrates a tooth-stick mentally and discards it in a clean auspicious spot; marginal notes indicate manuscript variants.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, serene morning purification scene, practitioner with kamaṇḍalu and small cup, water rendered as sacred, tooth-stick held then placed aside in a clean corner, soft temple-courtyard backdrop","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted water pot and ritual cup, practitioner doing ācamana, tooth-stick shown with delicate detailing, auspicious disposal spot near a tulasī/clean platform, rich ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional panel: steps—offer with hṛdā, rinse with purified water, consecrate tooth-stick, discard in śubha place; clear objects and gestures, minimal background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, domestic morning scene with fine textiles, water vessel and cup, practitioner rinsing, tooth-stick placed in a clean garden corner, manuscript-annotation aesthetic in margins"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kumbhamājyeneti = kumbham + ājyena + iti; pūrvavaddhṛdā = pūrvavat + hṛdā; ācāmayejjalaiḥ = ācāmayet + jalaiḥ; prakṣipecchobhane = prakṣipet + śobhane. Items ‘ga/ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ’ are editorial apparatus, not part of the core śloka syntax.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 83 (ācamana and śauca subsections; variant readings noted)
FAQs
It teaches a precise śauca sequence: perform ācamana using purified water, and consecrate/mentally empower the dantakāṣṭha before placing or discarding it in a clean, auspicious spot.
It preserves granular procedural details of daily ritual hygiene—how to rinse, how to treat ritual implements—showing the text’s coverage beyond mythology into practical liturgical and conduct manuals.
By using purified water and intentional consecration (hṛdā), the act becomes a purification rite that supports bodily and mental cleanliness, a prerequisite for worship and for accruing merit through properly ordered practice.