Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 14
Chapter 308 — Worship of Tvaritā (त्वरितापूजा)
मल्लिकाभिः पुरक्षोभः कुमुदैर् जनवर् लभः अशोकैः पुत्रलाभः स्यात् पाटलाभिः शुभाङ्गना
mallikābhiḥ purakṣobhaḥ kumudair janavar labhaḥ aśokaiḥ putralābhaḥ syāt pāṭalābhiḥ śubhāṅganā
Avec des fleurs de mallikā (jasmin), il y a trouble dans la cité; avec des kumuda (lotus blancs), il y a gain auprès du peuple (faveur et soutien); avec des fleurs d’aśoka, on obtient un fils; et avec des fleurs de pāṭalā, on obtient une femme vertueuse et de bon augure.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Interpreting offering-omens (śakuna-phalāni) and phala-śruti linked to specific flowers in worship—used to choose/avoid offerings based on desired outcomes.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Puṣpa-śakuna: mallikā, kumuda, aśoka, pāṭalā and their omens","lookup_keywords":["mallikā","kumuda","aśoka flower","pāṭalā","śakuna-phala"],"quick_summary":"The verse assigns omen-like results to flower offerings: mallikā indicates civic disturbance, kumuda public gain/support, aśoka son-attainment, and pāṭalā an auspicious woman—guiding ritual choice and interpretation."}
Concept: Ritual acts are read as signs affecting/reflecting social order (pura), public support (jana), lineage (putra), and household auspiciousness (śubhāṅganā).
Application: For saṅkalpa-based pūjā, select flowers aligned with desired outcomes; treat adverse omens as prompts for additional śānti/propitiation rather than fatalism.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Phala-śruti of offerings and floral omens (Śakuna-phalāni)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Four distinct flower offerings—mallikā (jasmine), kumuda (white lotus), aśoka blossoms, and pāṭalā flowers—presented in a shrine; subtle symbolic vignettes hint at their results: city unrest, public favor, birth of a son, and arrival of an auspicious woman.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, shrine foreground with four flower plates, background narrative panels: a city scene with agitation (mallikā), a crowd offering support (kumuda), a mother with child (aśoka), and an auspicious woman entering with lamps (pāṭalā); bold colors and temple motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central deity with gold work, four offering plates prominently displayed, small symbolic emblems near each: fort wall for city, people for public favor, cradle for son, auspicious woman with lamp for pāṭalā; rich ornamentation.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic composition with labeled flowers and their phala, clean botanical depiction of mallikā, kumuda, aśoka, pāṭalā, minimal narrative icons for each result.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined floral still-life before a shrine with marginal scenes: city street disturbance, assembly of people, family with newborn, elegant woman approaching; intricate detailing and balanced composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mallikābhiḥ purakṣobhaḥ → mallikābhiḥ + pura-kṣobhaḥ; note IAST 'janavar labhaḥ' normalized to compound jana-var-labhaḥ as a single result-term.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 308 (phala-śruti and offering-omen lists)
FAQs
It gives śakuna/phalāni (omenic results) linked to specific flowers used/appearing in a ritual context—jasmine indicating civic disturbance, kumuda indicating public gain, aśoka indicating son-attainment, and pāṭalā indicating acquisition of an auspicious woman.
Beyond theology, it catalogs practical ritual semiotics—mapping concrete ritual materials (flowers) to predicted outcomes—showing the Purana’s wide scope across worship procedure, auspiciousness science, and applied divination-like knowledge.
It frames offerings and ritual signs as karmically meaningful indicators: choosing or encountering particular flowers is treated as a signal of forthcoming results, encouraging attentive, dharmic conduct and careful selection of auspicious materials in worship.