Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 312 — Various Mantras (नानामन्त्राः)
गोमध्ये नाम संलिख्य चाष्टपत्रे च मध्यतः श्मशानादिपटे श्मशानाङ्गारेण विलेखयेत्
gomadhye nāma saṃlikhya cāṣṭapatre ca madhyataḥ śmaśānādipaṭe śmaśānāṅgāreṇa vilekhayet
Après avoir écrit le nom (de la personne) au centre d’un diagramme à huit pétales, on doit l’inscrire sur un tissu destiné aux usages funéraires/crématoires, en traçant avec du charbon ou de la cendre du lieu de crémation.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, per the Agni Purāṇa’s common frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Abhicāra-oriented yantra-lekhana: writing a target name in an aṣṭapatra (eight-petalled) diagram and transferring it onto śmaśāna-cloth using cremation charcoal/ash as ink.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Abhicāra-lekhana: aṣṭapatra-yantra with śmaśāna-aṅgāra writing","lookup_keywords":["aṣṭapatra-yantra","nāma-lekhana","śmaśāna-paṭa","aṅgāra","abhicāra"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes a specific hostile/protective ritual writing method: inscribe the person’s name in the center of an eight-petalled diagram and write it on cremation-ground cloth using pyre charcoal/ash."}
Concept: Yantra and name as ‘address’ for ritual intention; śmaśāna materials signify dissolution and coercive transformation in abhichāra.
Application: Follow exact diagram placement and material prescriptions to ‘bind’ the intended effect within the ritual medium (paṭa + aṅgāra).
Khanda Section: Mantra-Tantra and Abhicara (Protective/Ritual Procedures)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka draws an eight-petalled lotus diagram, writes a person’s name at the center, then inscribes it onto a dark funerary cloth using cremation charcoal; background hints of a cremation-ground.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, nocturnal śmaśāna setting with stylized flames in distance, sādhaka seated drawing aṣṭapatra lotus on palm-leaf/ground, then writing on dark paṭa with black aṅgāra, strong contrasts and ritual intensity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central yantra (eight-petalled lotus) rendered with gold outlines, sādhaka holding stylus dipped in black ash, minimal but iconic cremation-ground symbols (pyre, skull motif) in corners, gold embossing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional depiction of aṣṭapatra diagram with labeled center ‘nāma’, tools (charcoal, cloth) neatly arranged, calm didactic layout","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed artisan-like scene of writing on cloth with charcoal, eight-petalled diagram on a board, subdued smoky background suggesting cremation-ground, fine brushwork"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोमध्ये→गो-मध्ये; चाष्टपत्रे→च अष्टपत्रे; श्मशानादिपटे→श्मशान-आदि-पटे; श्मशानाङ्गारेण→श्मशान-अङ्गारेण.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 312 (abhicāra subsections: lekhana, paṭa, aṅgāra, uccāṭana etc.)
FAQs
It teaches a yantra-style procedure: write the target name in the center of an eight-petalled lotus diagram and inscribe it using cremation-ground charcoal/ash on a funerary-type cloth—an instruction typical of mantra–tantra operational rites.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied ritual technologies (mantra/yantra, materials, and method), documenting specialized procedures alongside other domains like polity, medicine, and poetics—hence its encyclopedic scope.
By employing śmaśāna materials (associated with impermanence and liminality), the rite is framed as a potent, boundary-transgressing ritual act, traditionally believed to intensify efficacy and produce strong karmic consequences depending on intent and adherence to dharma.