Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 17
Pañcāṅga-Rudra-vidhāna
The Fivefold Rudra Rite
ॐ इं इं उग्रवीरं मंहाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तंसर्वतोमुखं नृसिंहं भीषणं मृत्युमृत्युम्नमाम्यहं
oṃ iṃ iṃ ugravīraṃ maṃhāviṣṇuṃ jvalantaṃsarvatomukhaṃ nṛsiṃhaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ mṛtyumṛtyumnamāmyahaṃ
Oṃ. Iṃ, Iṃ. I bow to Narasiṃha—the fierce hero, Mahāviṣṇu—blazing, facing in all directions, terrifying, the Death of Death itself.
Lord Agni (teaching to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Apotropaic (raksha) japa for fear, danger, and mortality-anxiety; used in puja-vidhi as kavaca-like protection invoking Narasiṃha as sarvatomukha (all-directional guardian).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Narasimha Raksha-Mantra (Ugravīra, Sarvatomukha)","lookup_keywords":["Narasimha","ugravira","sarvatomukha","mrityumrityu","raksha-mantra"],"quick_summary":"A protective Narasiṃha invocation portraying him as blazing and all-facing, invoked as ‘death of Death’ for warding off peril and existential fear."}
Alamkara Type: Atiśayokti
Concept: Śaraṇāgati through nāma-mantra: invoking the divine as the transcender of death (mṛtyuñjaya-bhāva) and as omnidirectional protector (sarvatomukha).
Application: Daily or crisis-time japa to stabilize fear, cultivate courage, and ritually ‘seal’ space in all directions.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-vidya (Narasimha protective mantra)
Primary Rasa: Raudra
Secondary Rasa: Bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Nṛsiṃha as a blazing, terrifying guardian facing all directions, embodying ‘death of Death’, with protective aura encircling devotees.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural of Ugranarasiṃha with radiant flames, multiple directional faces/halo suggesting sarvatomukha, devotees in añjali at the base, bold reds and ochres, sacred geometry border.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of Narasiṃha with embossed gold prabhāmaṇḍala, fiery aura, symbolic all-direction gaze via surrounding mini-faces/lotus-petals, devotee kneeling, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style Narasiṃha icon with fine linework, controlled flames, explanatory labels for epithets (ugravīra, sarvatomukha, mṛtyumṛtyu) in a manuscript-like panel.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: dramatic Narasiṃha figure with luminous flames, frightened personifications of Death retreating, architectural frame suggesting four directions, delicate detailing and muted background wash."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मंहाविष्णुं → महाविष्णुम् (अनुस्वार/लिप्यन्तर-भेद); ज्वलन्तंसर्वतोमुखं → ज्वलन्तम् सर्वतोमुखम्; मृत्युमृत्युम्नमाम्यहं → मृत्युमृत्युम् नमामि अहम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 295 (raksha-mantra context); Agni Purana 296 (visha-nivarana mantra-prayoga continuation)
FAQs
It teaches a Narasiṃha protective invocation using bīja syllables (iṃ iṃ) to invoke Mahāviṣṇu as the all-facing, blazing force that removes fear and wards off death-related calamities.
Alongside topics like polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purāṇa preserves applied mantra-vidyā—practical liturgical formulas (with bījas and deity-epithets) used for protection and ritual efficacy.
By surrendering to Narasiṃha as “death of Death,” the practitioner seeks inner fearlessness and divine protection, framing liberation from mortal dread as a fruit of devotion and disciplined recitation.