Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 12
Chapter 21 — सामान्यपूजाकथनम्
Teaching on General Worship
हां हुं हां शिवमूर्तये साङ्गवक्त्रं शिवं यजेत् हौं शिवाय हामित्यादि हामीशानादिवक्त्रकं
hāṃ huṃ hāṃ śivamūrtaye sāṅgavaktraṃ śivaṃ yajet hauṃ śivāya hāmityādi hāmīśānādivaktrakaṃ
Avec la séquence mantrique « hāṃ huṃ hāṃ », on doit adorer Śiva—l’incarnation de Śiva—avec ses membres (aṅga) et ses visages. De même, avec « hauṃ, à Śiva », en commençant par « hām… », on doit adorer Śiva dont les visages sont Īśāna et les autres (selon les directions).
Lord Agni (teaching ritual procedure in the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Śaiva mantra-sādhana with bīja/varṇa sequences for worship of Śiva with aṅga-nyāsa and pañcavaktra (Īśāna etc.) visualization.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śiva-bīja sequence and pañcavaktra worship (hāṃ huṃ hāṃ / hauṃ śivāya)","lookup_keywords":["hāṃ huṃ hāṃ","hauṃ śivāya","aṅga-nyāsa","pañcavaktra","Īśāna"],"quick_summary":"Gives seed-syllable sequences used to worship Śiva as the Śiva-mūrti with limbs and faces. Practically, it cues mantra-recitation with nyāsa/visualization of Īśāna and the other directional faces."}
Concept: Mantra + visualization (mūrti, aṅga, vaktra) integrates sound-form (śabda-rūpa aikya) in worship.
Application: Recite the given bīja sequences while placing nyāsa on limbs and meditating on Īśāna and the remaining faces in their directions.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Shaiva Mantra-sadhana and Nyasa)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka performs aṅga-nyāsa while visualizing five-faced Śiva; the bīja syllables appear as luminous letters around the deity’s faces aligned to directions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural of pañcavaktra Śiva with directional faces, glowing bīja letters ‘hāṃ huṃ hāṃ’ and ‘hauṃ’ in stylized script, priest doing nyāsa, subdued sacred palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of five-faced Śiva with gold halo and embossed ornaments, bīja syllables inscribed in aureole, devotee in front touching limbs in nyāsa gesture, temple lamp light.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style diagrammatic devotional art: pañcavaktra Śiva centered, directions labeled Īśāna etc., bīja-mantras written neatly, sādhaka performing aṅga-nyāsa step-by-step.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a yogin in a shrine, translucent depiction of pañcavaktra Śiva above, calligraphic bīja syllables floating, fine architectural detailing and incense haze."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: hāmityādi = hām + iti + ādi; hāmīśānādivaktrakaṃ = hām + īśāna + ādi + vaktrakam; sāṅgavaktraṃ = sa + aṅga + vaktram (with sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 21 (Śaiva mantra-nyāsa and devatā-arcana subsections)
FAQs
It teaches a Śaiva mantra-prayoga: worship of Śiva using bīja-syllables (hāṃ, huṃ, hauṃ) with aṅga- and vaktra-association, i.e., invoking Śiva together with His limbs and the five directional faces beginning with Īśāna.
Alongside narratives, the Agni Purana preserves practical ritual technology—seed-mantras, face/direction theology (pañcavaktra), and procedural worship cues—showing its coverage of applied liturgy and mantra-science in addition to myth and doctrine.
By worshipping Śiva with properly assigned mantras and the pañcavaktra framework, the practitioner aligns with Śiva’s complete cosmic form (directions/energies), supporting purification, protection, and merit through correctly performed devotion (vidhi-yukta pūjā).