Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
Chapter 164: नवग्रहहोमः
Navagraha Fire-Offering
सुवर्णैर् वायजेल्लिख्य गन्धमण्डलकेषु वा यथावर्णं प्रदेयानि वासांसि कुसुमानि च
suvarṇair vāyajellikhya gandhamaṇḍalakeṣu vā yathāvarṇaṃ pradeyāni vāsāṃsi kusumāni ca
Après avoir inscrit (les formes/lettres) avec de l’or—ou bien au sein de maṇḍala parfumés—on doit offrir, selon les couleurs prescrites, des vêtements et des fleurs en oblation.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Mandala-based pūjā procedure: inscribing forms/letters with gold or within scented mandalas, then offering color-correspondent garments and flowers to deities/grahas.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Suvarṇa-lekhana and Gandha-maṇḍala Upacāra (color-coded offerings)","lookup_keywords":["maṇḍala","suvarṇa-lekhana","gandha-maṇḍala","vastra-dāna","yathāvarṇa-pūjā"],"quick_summary":"Gives a ritual method: write/inscribe with gold (or in scented mandalas) and present garments and flowers matching prescribed colors—useful for standardized deity/graha worship and vow-rites."}
Concept: External correspondences (varṇa, gandha, lekhana) discipline attention and align worshipper with devatā/graha energies.
Application: Design a pūjā setup with correct color offerings; use scented mandala as accessible alternative when gold inscription is not feasible.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dāna–Vrata and Maṇḍala-ritual procedures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scented mandala drawn on the ground, with golden inscriptions at its center; neatly arranged piles of color-matched garments and flowers offered around the mandala in a ritual sequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, top-down mandala with fragrant paste rings, gold script at center, attendants placing colored cloths and flowers, lamp and conch nearby, bold outlines and warm palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central mandala with gold-highlighted inscriptions, richly patterned garments in distinct colors laid as offerings, heavy gold work and ornamental frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional composition showing mandala layers, labeled color offerings (white/red/yellow/blue/black as applicable), delicate linework, calm background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, indoor ritual scene with a mandala on a carpet, gold calligraphy, trays of flowers and folded garments in varied colors, fine architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: suvarṇair → suvarṇaiḥ; vāyajellikhya → vā + yajet + likhya (orthographic fusion); gandhamaṇḍalakeṣu → gandha-maṇḍalakeṣu; yathāvarṇaṃ → yathā-varṇam (avyayībhāva).
Related Themes: Agni Purana pūjā-vidhi sections on maṇḍala, dāna, and upacāra (around 164.4–164.5)
FAQs
It prescribes a maṇḍala-based worship method: inscribe the required forms using gold (or perform the rite within a scented maṇḍala) and offer color-correspondent cloth and flowers as upacāras.
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual manual style—detailing materials (gold, fragrances), ritual technology (maṇḍala), and offering protocols (color-matched items), alongside its many other domains.
Correctly executed, color-appropriate offerings within a consecrated maṇḍala are presented as a merit-producing (puṇya) act that refines worship through precision, purity, and devotional completeness.