Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 11
Chapter 93 — वास्तुपूजादिविधानम्
Procedure for Vāstu-worship and Related Rites
विमांसमन्तरीक्षाय शुक्तुन्तेभ्यस्तु पूर्वतः मधुक्षीराज्यसम्पूर्णां प्रदद्याद्वह्नये श्रुचं
vimāṃsamantarīkṣāya śuktuntebhyastu pūrvataḥ madhukṣīrājyasampūrṇāṃ pradadyādvahnaye śrucaṃ
Für die Gottheit des Zwischenraums (Antarikṣa) soll man fleischlose Opfergaben darbringen; und vor den übrigen Gaben—beginnend mit Zubereitungen aus geröstetem Korn (śuktu)—soll man Agni die Opferschöpfkelle darreichen, gefüllt mit Honig, Milch und Ghee.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Homa/Agnihotra dravya rules: offering meatless oblations to Antarikṣa-devata and presenting to Agni a ladle filled with honey, milk, and ghee as a principal oblation before other items like śuktu (parched-grain preparations).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agnihotra Dravya: Antarikṣa Nirāmiṣa and Agni Madhu–Kṣīra–Ājya Śruc","lookup_keywords":["Antarikṣa nirāmiṣa","Agni śruc madhu kṣīra ājya","śuktu pūrvataḥ","homa dravya","agnihotra"],"quick_summary":"Keep Antarikṣa offerings meatless; for Agni, offer first a ladle charged with honey, milk, and ghee—establishing a sweet, nourishing, sattvic oblation as the rite’s lead."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Āhuti-krama (order of oblations) and śuddhi (purity) as determinants of yajña efficacy; nirāmiṣa emphasizes sattvic alignment for mid-space deity and homa context.
Application: In domestic homa, standardize the first principal āhuti with ghṛta (and optionally milk/honey per tradition), then proceed to grain-based offerings; maintain dietary/ritual purity rules for specific devatas.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Agni-hotra / Homa offerings and oblations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A homa-kunda with bright flames; a priest holds a śruc (ladle) brimming with honey, milk, and ghee, poised to pour into Agni; nearby are bowls of parched-grain preparations; a separate, clearly meatless offering is set for Antarikṣa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, blazing homa fire with stylized flames, priest in traditional attire holding a ladle of madhu-kṣīra-ājya, ritual vessels arranged neatly, warm ochre-red palette, sacred geometry around the kunda","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Agni as radiant flame-deity with gold embossing, priest offering from a golden ladle, bowls of grains, luminous highlights on ghee and milk vessels, ornate temple setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional clarity: homa-kunda, labeled śruc, three ingredients shown (honey pot, milk vessel, ghee bowl), sequence arrows indicating ‘pūrvataḥ’ (first) offering, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate domestic yajña scene in a courtyard, detailed brassware, translucent depiction of honey and milk, firelight reflections, fine facial expressions and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vimāṃsamantarīkṣāya → वि-मांसम् अन्तरीक्षाय; śuktuntebhyastu → शुक्तुन्तेभ्यः तु; madhukṣīrājyasampūrṇāṃ → मधु-क्षीर-आज्य-सम्पूर्णाम्; pradadyādvahnaye → प्रदद्याद् वह्नये
Related Themes: Agni Purana 93 (homa/āhuti prescriptions)
FAQs
It specifies homa protocol: meatless offerings are prescribed for Antarikṣa, and an initial/preceding oblation to Agni is made using a ladle filled with honey, milk, and ghee, indicating both substance-selection and offering order.
By cataloging precise ritual materials (madhu, kṣīra, ājya) and procedural sequencing (pūrvataḥ), it exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s practical, manual-like coverage of worship-technology alongside its wider teachings on law, polity, medicine, and arts.
Correctly chosen and ordered oblations are understood to purify the sacrificer, harmonize the cosmic regions (notably the mid-space/Antarikṣa), and secure merit through properly directed offerings to Agni, the carrier of sacrificial offerings.