Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 10
Daṣṭa-cikitsā (Treatment for Bites) — Mantra-Dhyāna-Auṣadha Protocols for Viṣa
भूतादिवर्णान् विन्यसेदङ्गुष्टाद्यन्तपर्वसु तन्मात्रादिगुणाभ्यर्णानङ्गुलीषु न्यसेद्बुधः
bhūtādivarṇān vinyasedaṅguṣṭādyantaparvasu tanmātrādiguṇābhyarṇānaṅgulīṣu nyasedbudhaḥ
Le pratiquant avisé doit assigner (par nyāsa) les syllabes commençant par les bhūtas sur les articulations, du pouce jusqu’aux articulations terminales ; et il doit placer sur les doigts les syllabes correspondant aux qualités (guṇa) commençant par les tanmātras.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Systematic varṇa-nyāsa: placing bhūta-syllables on thumb-to-terminal joints and placing tanmātra/guṇa-corresponding syllables on fingers to complete mantra-anga vinyāsa for pūjā and bhūta-śuddhi.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bhūta-varṇa and tanmātra-guṇa varṇa-nyāsa on joints and fingers","lookup_keywords":["bhuta varna","tanmatra guna","vinyasa","anguli nyasa","parva"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes a two-tier nyāsa: bhūta-related syllables on the finger joints from thumb onward, and tanmātra/guṇa-adjacent syllables on the fingers—an ordered mapping used in mantra-anga installation."}
Concept: Element-to-sound correspondence: bhūtas and tanmātras/guṇas are internalized through ordered phoneme placement, integrating cosmology into embodied practice.
Application: Used as a preparatory rite for japa, homa, and pūjā to stabilize attention and align the practitioner with tattva structure.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tantric Nyasa and Mantra-anga-vinyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An instructional ritual scene: a practitioner touches successive finger joints from thumb to tips while reciting bhūta-syllables, then touches fingers to place tanmātra/guṇa syllables; a small chart shows mappings of bhūtas and tanmātras to syllables.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: seated sādhaka with hands prominent, sequential joint-touching shown in a narrative strip; side panel with five-element symbols and subtle tanmātra icons; bold outlines, temple lamp nearby.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure performing nyāsa, gold-highlighted hands and joint points; decorative panel showing pañcabhūta emblems and tanmātra symbols; ornate frame with gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear pedagogical illustration—hand diagram with numbered joints; table of bhūta-varṇas and tanmātra/guṇa-varṇas; soft colors and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: scholar-practitioner demonstrating hand placements to a student; a folio chart with element and tanmātra labels; fine brushwork, muted palette, detailed textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विन्यसेदङ्गुष्टाद्यन्तपर्वसु = विन्यसेत् + अङ्गुष्ठ-आदि-अन्त-पर्वसु; न्यसेद्बुधः = न्यसेत् + बुधः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana bhūta/tanmātra cosmology passages (tattva sections); Agni Purana nyāsa and mudrā procedures in the same puja-vidhi khanda
FAQs
It teaches a specific nyāsa procedure: placing (vinyāsa) bhūta-related syllables on the thumb-to-joint sequence and placing tanmātra/guṇa-corresponding syllables on the fingers as part of mantra-ritual practice.
By preserving a precise, technical ritual method (tantric nyāsa) that links phonetics (varṇa), cosmology (bhūtas/tanmātras), and embodied practice (finger/joint placement), it exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium-style coverage of applied religious technologies.
Nyāsa sacralizes the practitioner’s body as a mantra-mandala, aiding concentration and ritual purity; it is traditionally held to deepen mantra efficacy and align the worshipper with the tattva-order of creation.