Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 18
Tvaritā-pūjā (The Worship of Tvaritā) — Transition Verse and Context
ऊष्माणस्येत्ययं पाठो न साधुः प्रथमं पञ्चमे योज्यं स्वरार्धेनोद्धृता इमे ओंकाराद्या नमोन्ताश् च जपेत् स्वाहाग्निकार्यके
ūṣmāṇasyetyayaṃ pāṭho na sādhuḥ prathamaṃ pañcame yojyaṃ svarārdhenoddhṛtā ime oṃkārādyā namontāś ca japet svāhāgnikāryake
La lectura «ūṣmāṇasya …» no es correcta. Lo primero debe unirse con lo quinto. Estas sílabas/mantras, extraídas por la mitad de la porción vocálica (svarārdha), comenzando con Oṃ y terminando en «namaḥ», deben recitarse en el rito del fuego (agnikārya) con la exclamación «svāhā».
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s common dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Correcting mantra-patha and applying extracted syllabic units (varṇa/bīja) in agnikārya with svāhā for effective oblation-linked japa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agnikārya-japa: svarārdha-uddhṛta Oṃkārādi-namo’nta with svāhā","lookup_keywords":["agnikārya","svāhā","svarārdha","oṃkārādi","namo’nta"],"quick_summary":"The verse gives a textual correction and a rule for extracting/segmenting mantra-units (svarārdha-uddhṛta) to be recited from Oṃ to namaḥ, and then applied in fire-rite with svāhā."}
Concept: Mantra-siddhi depends on śuddha-pāṭha (correct reading) and correct viniyoga (application) in yajña/agnikārya.
Application: Verify mantra-text, join prescribed segments, and maintain svāhā-usage when the act is homa-oriented rather than mere japa.
Khanda Section: Mantra-shastra & Agnikarma (Fire-ritual procedure; Japa and Mantra-nyasa guidance)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist seated before a consecrated fire, consulting a palm-leaf manuscript, carefully segmenting syllables and offering oblations with the utterance svāhā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm ochres and reds, a vaidika-tantrika priest before a homa-kuṇḍa, stylized flames, palm-leaf manuscript, hand in japa-mudrā, sacred geometry on the altar, minimal background, traditional ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central homa-kuṇḍa with bright flames, priest with sacred thread and manuscript, gold-leaf highlights on fire and vessels, ornate border, rich reds and greens, devotional-ritual atmosphere.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework, instructional clarity: labeled implements (sruk, sruva, āhuti bowl), priest joining mantra segments from manuscript, svāhā at oblation moment, soft pastel palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ritual pavilion, scholar-priest reading manuscript, assistants holding ghee and ladles, precise depiction of fire altar and vessels, fine textiles, subdued yet luminous flames."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ūṣmāṇasya + iti → ūṣmāṇasyeti; svarārdhena + uddhṛtāḥ → svarārdhenoddhṛtāḥ; namo + antāḥ → namontāḥ (o + a sandhi); svāhā + agni + kāryake → svāhāgnikāryake (ā+a contraction).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 309 (Mantra-nyāsa/vidyāṅga context); Agni Purana mantra-kalpa sections on homa and japa-viniyoga
FAQs
It gives a rule of mantra-recitation for homa: reject an incorrect textual reading, combine specified elements (the first with the fifth), and perform japa of formulas beginning with Oṃ and ending with namaḥ, using svāhā in the fire-rite.
Beyond theology, it preserves technical ritual philology—how to correct a pāṭha (reading), apply a phonetic extraction rule (svarārdha), and standardize japa/homa utterances—showing the Purana’s coverage of mantra-science and liturgical precision.
Correct pāṭha and properly formed japa in homa are presented as essential for efficacy: accurate sound and procedure ensure the offering is ritually valid and spiritually fruitful, avoiding defects caused by improper recitation.