Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 21
Utpāta-śānti
Pacification of Portents
नद्यो ह्रदप्रश्रवणा विरसाश् च भवन्ति च शलिलाशयवैकृत्ये जप्तव्यो वारुणो मनुः
nadyo hradapraśravaṇā virasāś ca bhavanti ca śalilāśayavaikṛtye japtavyo vāruṇo manuḥ
Flüsse, Seen und Quellen werden schal und verlieren ihre eigentliche Qualität. Wenn in Wasserbecken und Reservoirs Verderbnis oder Unregelmäßigkeit auftritt, ist das Varuṇa-Mantra zu rezitieren.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Water-body purification/appeasement rite: when rivers and reservoirs show abnormal qualities, recite Varuṇa-mantra as śānti for restoring water’s proper taste and purity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Varuṇa-mantra-japa for Śalilāśaya-vaikṛtya","lookup_keywords":["Varuṇa-mantra","śalilāśaya-vaikṛtya","nadyāḥ hradāḥ","jala-doṣa","śānti"],"quick_summary":"If rivers, lakes, or springs become ‘virasa’ (lose proper quality), the remedy given is japa of the Varuṇa-mantra. The rite is framed as a śānti to correct water-reservoir abnormalities."}
Concept: Natural-resource disorder is addressed through devatā-sambandha (Varuṇa as adhiṣṭhātṛ of waters) and corrective ritual speech (mantra-japa).
Application: Community response to water contamination: ritual appeasement plus practical caution in water use.
Khanda Section: Mantra-prayoga & Shanti-kalpa (Varuna-related rites; water/river appeasement and purification)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A river and lake appear dull and ‘tasteless’; priests stand at the bank performing Varuṇa-mantra-japa with water-offerings, while the water regains clarity and vitality.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Varuṇa suggested in the sky/upper register with aquatic motifs, priests at riverbank chanting with japamālā, stylized waves and lotus clusters, transformation from murky to clear water, temple-ritual aesthetic.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Varuṇa enthroned with gold halo and sea-creature motifs, foreground priests offering arghya into a lake, heavy gold highlights on ripples and vessels, auspicious clarity returning to water.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional riverbank scene: priest seated in japa posture, water-pot and kuśa, labeled reservoirs (nadī/hrada/prasravaṇa) as a didactic tableau, subtle color gradations showing purification.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape with river, spring, and lake, a small ritual group chanting, fine depiction of water texture shifting from dull to sparkling, naturalistic flora and birds returning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Varuṇa-priya (or a sober morning raga such as Bhairav)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शलिलाशयवैकृत्ये = शलिल + आशय + वैकृत्ये; विरसाः + च → विरसाश् च (विसर्ग-सन्धि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Mantra-prayoga and śānti-kalpa passages on Varuṇa and jala-śuddhi (within ch. 262 sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes a practical śānti-mantra application: when water bodies (rivers/lakes/springs/reservoirs) become abnormal or degraded in quality, one should perform japa of the Vāruṇa (Varuṇa-related) mantra to restore and pacify the water element.
Beyond theology, it records applied ritual technology for real-world issues—here, environmental/water-quality disturbance—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s catalog-like coverage of remedial rites (prayoga) alongside other domains such as polity, medicine, and arts.
Reciting Varuṇa’s mantra functions as a propitiation and purification act toward the deity presiding over waters, aiming to remove doṣa (impurity/imbalance) in the water element and generate merit through protection and restoration of life-sustaining resources.