Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 10
Dīkṣāvidhi-kathana
Explanation of the Rite of Initiation
प्रक्षाल्य पुण्डरीकेन विलिप्यान्तः सुगन्धिना उखामाज्येन संपूर्य गोक्षीरेण तु साधकः
prakṣālya puṇḍarīkena vilipyāntaḥ sugandhinā ukhāmājyena saṃpūrya gokṣīreṇa tu sādhakaḥ
Having washed the vessel with the white lotus (puṇḍarīka), the practitioner should anoint its interior with a fragrant substance; then, filling the ukha with ghee, he should also use cow’s milk as prescribed.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Preparation of ritual vessel (ukha): washing with white lotus, perfuming/anointing interior, filling with ghee and using cow’s milk—standardized purity and offering protocol.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ukha purification with puṇḍarīka, fragrance anointing, ghee fill, and cow-milk use","lookup_keywords":["ukha","puṇḍarīka","gandha (fragrance)","ājya (ghee)","go-kṣīra"],"quick_summary":"Purify the vessel with white lotus, anoint it with fragrance, then fill it with ghee and employ cow’s milk as prescribed—ensuring ritual purity and offering fitness."}
Concept: Outer purification (dravya-śuddhi) supports inner steadiness; sāttvika substances (lotus, fragrance, ghee, milk) are vehicles of sanctification.
Application: Before homa/puja, standardize vessel-cleaning and filling steps; use uncontaminated, fresh ghee/milk and mild fragrances to maintain ritual and mental clarity.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Ritual Procedures / Agneya-vidya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner cleans a ritual vessel with white lotus, anoints the inside with fragrant paste, then fills it with ghee and prepares cow’s milk for the rite.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, close-up ritual still-life: white lotus, fragrant paste bowl, ukha vessel, ghee pot and milk vessel, priest’s hands in action, flat iconic rendering with warm tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate ukha with gold accents, white lotus emphasized, shimmering ghee depiction, milk in silver vessel, rich decorative border and gold-leaf highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, stepwise instructional scene: washing, anointing interior, filling with ghee, setting milk aside; clean lines, soft palette, clear object separation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed textures of lotus petals, glossy ghee, milk vessel, practitioner seated on carpet, fine utensils and bowls, delicate shading and realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhoopali","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ukhāmājyena → ukhām + ājyena.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 27 (homa/puja dravya-samskara steps)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific purification and consecration sequence for a ritual vessel (ukha): wash with lotus (puṇḍarīka), perfume/anoint the interior, then fill/prepare it with ghee and cow’s milk as ritual substances.
Alongside theology and myth, the Agni Purana preserves practical liturgical instructions—minute material details (lotus cleansing, fragrance, ghee, milk) that function like a ritual handbook within a broader compendium of disciplines.
The act of cleansing, perfuming, and filling the vessel with sattvic offerings (ghee and cow’s milk) symbolizes purity and devotional readiness, supporting ritual efficacy and the merit (puṇya) of correctly performed worship.