Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 23
Rudra-śānti (रुद्रशान्ति)
रन्ध्रपार्श्वे वहिर्वायुः सर्वं व्याप्य महेश्वरः स्तम्भनं पार्थिवे शान्तिर्जले वश्यादि तेजसे वायौ स्याद् भ्रमणं शून्ये पुण्यं कालं समभ्यसेत्
randhrapārśve vahirvāyuḥ sarvaṃ vyāpya maheśvaraḥ stambhanaṃ pārthive śāntirjale vaśyādi tejase vāyau syād bhramaṇaṃ śūnye puṇyaṃ kālaṃ samabhyaset
Au côté des randhra (ouvertures du corps) opère le vāyu, le souffle vital allant vers l’extérieur. Maheśvara pénètre tout. Dans l’élément terre (pārthiva) se trouve le rite d’immobilisation (stambhana) ; dans l’élément eau (jala) se trouve l’apaisement (śānti) ; dans l’élément feu (tejas) se trouvent les rites de vaśyādi (vaśya et apparentés) ; dans l’élément vent (vāyu) se trouve le rite de bhramaṇa (égarement/errance). Dans le vide/éther (śūnya) réside le mérite (puṇya) ; il faut pratiquer la sādhana du Temps (kāla-sādhana).
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s technical vidyas to Sage Vashistha, traditional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Pañcabhūta-based assignment of ritual effects (stambhana, śānti, vaśya, bhramaṇa) and guidance toward kāla-sādhana, integrating prāṇa-vāyu observation with tattva-sādhana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pañcabhūta-Karma Correspondence & Kāla-Sādhana","lookup_keywords":["pañcabhūta","stambhana","śānti","vaśya","kāla-sādhana"],"quick_summary":"Maps specific ritual outcomes to elemental bases—earth: stambhana; water: śānti; fire: vaśya etc.; wind: bhramaṇa; ether/void: puṇya—while framing practice within all-pervading Maheśvara and culminating in discipline of Time."}
Concept: Tattva-sādhana: operational results arise from aligning practice with bhūta-tattvas; ultimate framing is Śiva’s pervasion and kāla as a discipline-object.
Application: Choose the elemental support (bhūta-nyāsa/maṇḍala/ādhāra) matching the intended rite; then stabilize practice by kāla-sādhana (regulated timing, sustained japa, and contemplative awareness of temporal flow).
Khanda Section: Tantra-Mantra Vidya (Bhuta-tattva / Panchabhuta-sadhana and Siddhi-prayoga)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin-priest seated before a pañcabhūta maṇḍala: earth, water, fire, wind, ether zones labeled with corresponding karmas; subtle depiction of vāyu currents near bodily apertures; an all-pervading Śiva aura envelops the scene; a clock/sun-moon motif indicates kāla-sādhana.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, five elemental bands around a central Śiva-linga radiating aura, yogin with visible prāṇa-waves near nostrils/ears (randhra), inscriptions for stambhana/śānti/vaśya/bhramaṇa/puṇya, deep reds and greens with sacred geometry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Maheśvara/Śiva-linga with gold halo filling the panel, surrounding pañcabhūta mandala in jewel colors, gold leaf on fire and ether rings, yogin performing japa with rosary, sun-moon symbols for kāla.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic chart: five labeled compartments with corresponding rites, a small figure showing prāṇa flow near randhra, neat annotations, soft pastel wash, emphasis on clarity and mapping.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ascetic in a pavilion with a painted cosmogram on the floor, attendants holding manuscripts, translucent swirls indicating vāyu, a large faint Śiva silhouette pervading the background, fine calligraphy labels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रन्ध्रपार्श्वे = रन्ध्र + पार्श्वे; वहिर्वायुः = वहिः + वायुः; शान्तिर्जले = शान्तिः + जले; वश्यादि = वश्य + आदि; तेजसे वायौ (no sandhi); स्याद् = स्यात् (before voiced consonant); tejo 'ntarā handled in previous verse.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 324 (ṣaṭkarman and maṇḍala-bheda); Agni Purana 325 (mantra-dhyāna, mudrā, homa as sādhanā-aṅgas)
FAQs
It maps specific tantric prayogas (stambhana, śānti, vaśyādi, bhramaṇa) onto elemental (panchabhuta) frameworks, indicating which element-based practice is used for which operative effect.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s catalog-style transmission of applied ritual sciences—classifying siddhi-oriented rites by elemental theory, alongside broader subjects like dharma, polity, medicine, and arts.
It distinguishes power-oriented rites from merit-oriented cultivation, stating that in the ‘void/ether’ orientation there is puṇya, and it recommends disciplined practice of Kāla (time) as a higher contemplative regimen.