Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 13
Chapter 21 — सामान्यपूजाकथनम्
Teaching on General Worship
ह्रीं गौरीं गं गणः शक्रमुखाश् चण्डीहृतादिकाः क्रमात्सूर्यार्चने मन्त्रा दण्डी पूज्यश् च पिङ्गलः
hrīṃ gaurīṃ gaṃ gaṇaḥ śakramukhāś caṇḍīhṛtādikāḥ kramātsūryārcane mantrā daṇḍī pūjyaś ca piṅgalaḥ
Dans le culte de Sūrya, les mantras doivent être appliqués successivement—en commençant par « hrīṃ », puis « gaurīṃ », puis « gaṃ » ; (en invoquant) Gaṇa (Gaṇeśa), ensuite Śakra et les autres dieux ; puis Caṇḍī, Hṛt/Hṛdaya et le reste. Après cela, Daṇḍī et Piṅgala doivent aussi être adorés.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Sūrya-arcana sequence: applying mantras in a prescribed order, invoking associated deities (Gaṇeśa, Indra/Śakra, Caṇḍī, Hṛdaya etc.) and attendant figures (Daṇḍī, Piṅgala) within the ritual.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sūrya-upāsanā mantra-krama (hrīṃ–gaurīṃ–gaṃ … Daṇḍī, Piṅgala)","lookup_keywords":["Sūryārcana","hrīṃ","gaṃ","Śakra","Piṅgala"],"quick_summary":"Specifies the order of mantra application and deity-invocation within Sun worship. Practically, it functions as a checklist for sequencing recitations and offerings to the associated devatā-circle."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on krama (correct sequence) and devatā-saṅgati (proper association of deities).
Application: During Sūrya-pūjā, recite the bījas and invoke the listed devatās in the stated order before proceeding to the next upacāra/nyāsa step.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra and Deva-archana procedures; Surya-upasana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Sūrya altar with a circular maṇḍala; mantras ‘hrīṃ’, ‘gaurīṃ’, ‘gaṃ’ written around; Gaṇeśa, Indra and other gods placed in a ring; Daṇḍī and Piṅgala honored at designated points.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural of Sūrya in a radiant chariot motif, surrounding devatā-circle (Gaṇa, Śakra, Caṇḍī), bīja syllables painted as decorative script on the halo, ritual offerings below.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of Sūrya with gold-leaf radiance, concentric devatā arrangement, small figures of Daṇḍī and Piṅgala at sides, ornate arch and lamps, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional maṇḍala: clean concentric circles labeled with mantra sequence, central Sūrya icon, surrounding deities in order, priest performing arcana with flowers and water.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a sun-temple courtyard worship scene, circular diagram on cloth, calligraphic bījas, finely dressed worshipper, Sūrya depicted above with delicate rays and attendants."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sūryakānt","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kramātsūryārcane = kramāt + sūryārcane; śakramukhāś = śakramukhāḥ (visarga sandhi before ca).
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 21 (Sūrya-upāsanā and devatā-nyāsa passages)
FAQs
It gives a practical mantra-krama (ordered sequence) for Sūryārcana, specifying bīja-syllables and successive invocations (Gaṇeśa, Śakra and others, Caṇḍī, then Daṇḍī and Piṅgala) to structure the worship correctly.
It preserves a compact ritual manual inside a Purāṇa—cataloguing seed-mantras, deity-invocation order, and auxiliary worship steps—showing how the Agni Purana functions as a reference text for practical liturgy alongside myth and theology.
Following the prescribed order is presented as ensuring ritual completeness (saṃpūrṇatā) and alignment with the deity’s worship-method, which traditionally is held to increase the efficacy (siddhi) of the rite and the merit (puṇya) gained from Sūrya-upāsanā.