Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 55
अध्याय १ — यजुर्विधानम्
Agni Purana, Chapter 259: Yajur-vidhāna
अन्नमक्षयमाप्नोति दीर्घमायुश् च विन्दति प्रमुञ्च धन्वन्नित्येतत् षड्भिरायुधमन्त्रणं
annamakṣayamāpnoti dīrghamāyuś ca vindati pramuñca dhanvannityetat ṣaḍbhirāyudhamantraṇaṃ
Er erlangt unerschöpfliche Nahrung und gewinnt zudem langes Leben. „Lass los, o Bogenschütze, immerdar!“—dies ist die Unterweisung zum Waffen-Mantra, bestehend aus sechs Silben/Worten.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Battlefield release-command mantra (astra-mantra) used to empower/trigger missile discharge and secure auspicious results (food-security, longevity) for the practitioner/king’s forces.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Ṣaḍakṣara/ṣaḍpada āyudha-mantra: “pramuñca dhanvan nityam”","lookup_keywords":["pramuñca","dhanvan","āyudha-mantra","ṣaḍakṣara","Dhanurveda"],"quick_summary":"A six-unit weapon-mantra framed as a release-command to the bowman; its stated phala is inexhaustible provisions and long life, indicating auspicious empowerment of martial action."}
Weapon Type: Bow (archery)
Concept: Mantra as functional power (śakti) allied to weapon-use; phala-śruti motivates disciplined application.
Application: Use mantra with controlled archery practice to align action, intention, and auspicious outcome in royal warfare.
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda (Ancient Indian military science: archery, weapons, and mantras)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An archer at the moment of releasing an arrow, lips forming the mantra; behind him are granaries and a long-lived, prosperous kingdom implied by the phala.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, heroic archer in profile drawing a bow, sacred fire and mantra-syllables subtly inscribed, warm earth pigments, stylized granary motifs symbolizing akṣaya-anna and āyus.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central archer with ornate jewelry and halo-like aura of mantra, gold-leaf highlights on bow and arrow, small inset of overflowing grain vessels indicating akṣaya food.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition showing archer posture and release moment, neat calligraphic mantra text near the mouth, soft shading, minimal background with symbolic grain stores.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed battlefield edge scene with a focused archer whispering mantra, fine textiles and weapon detail, marginalia showing the six-part mantra and a vignette of abundant provisions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: annam akṣayam āpnoti → annamakṣayamāpnoti; dīrgham āyuḥ → dīrghamāyuḥ; dhanvan nityam etat → dhanvannityetat; ṣaḍbhiḥ āyudha-mantraṇam → ṣaḍbhirāyudhamantraṇaṃ
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dhanurveda sections on archery release (pramocana) and astra-mantras; Agni Purana mantra-phala style passages in ritual chapters
FAQs
It gives a Dhanurveda āyudha-mantra—an archery/weapon recitation formula (‘pramuñca dhanvan nityam’) and states its practical phala: inexhaustible food supply and long life.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves applied sciences like Dhanurveda, including operational commands and mantra-forms for weapon use, showing its wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
The verse frames disciplined weapon-use with mantra as merit-bearing (phala-shruti), promising prosperity (akṣaya-anna) and longevity (dīrgha-āyuḥ) to the practitioner who maintains the prescribed recitation.