Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 28
Chapter 59 — अधिवासनकथनं
Adhivāsana: The Rite of Inviting and Stabilizing Hari’s Presence
हकारं विन्यसेत्तत्र प्रणवेन सुरोत्तमः ॐ आं परमेष्ठ्यात्मने आं नमः पुरुषात्मने
hakāraṃ vinyasettatra praṇavena surottamaḥ oṃ āṃ parameṣṭhyātmane āṃ namaḥ puruṣātmane
Là, le meilleur des dieux doit installer la syllabe ‘ha’ avec le praṇava (Oṃ), en récitant : «Oṃ, āṃ—hommage au Soi dont l’essence est Parameṣṭhin (le Seigneur suprême) ; āṃ—hommage au Soi dont l’essence est Puruṣa (la Personne cosmique).»
Lord Agni (teaching ritual procedure to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Installing ‘ha’ with praṇava and reciting salutations that identify the inner Self with Parameṣṭhin and Puruṣa—used in nyāsa and deity-identification (ātma-nyāsa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Ha-bīja with Praṇava: Parameṣṭhin-Ātman and Puruṣa-Ātman Namaskāra","lookup_keywords":["ha bija","pranava om","parameshthin atman","purusha atman","nyasa mantra"],"quick_summary":"Combine ‘ha’ with Oṃ and recite mantras saluting the Self as Parameṣṭhin and as Puruṣa; supports ritual installation and contemplative self-identification with the cosmic principle."}
Concept: Ātman-identification with the supreme ordering principle (Parameṣṭhin) and the cosmic person (Puruṣa); mantra as a vehicle for non-dual/identity contemplation within ritual.
Application: During nyāsa or japa, internalize the namaskāra as recognition that worship culminates in ātma-buddhi (seeing the Self as pervading and cosmic).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa-Mantra-Vidhi / Tantric ritual installation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual scene where the practitioner installs ‘ha’ with Oṃ, while above/within appears a subtle vision of the cosmic Puruṣa and a supreme luminous presence (Parameṣṭhin), indicating identity of self and cosmos.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; priest-sādhaka with raised hand in nyāsa gesture; ‘Oṃ’ and ‘HA’ glyphs floating; behind, a large translucent Puruṣa figure filled with stars; warm sacred palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore gold; central Oṃ in gold relief, ‘HA’ beside it; haloed cosmic figure (Puruṣa) with ornate jewelry; luminous supreme presence above; rich reds and gold embossing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style; clear depiction of mantra text bands ‘oṃ āṃ … namaḥ’; practitioner performing nyāsa; subtle cosmic silhouette labeled Parameṣṭhin/Puruṣa; refined linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; manuscript illumination with calligraphy of the mantra; a yogi in a pavilion; faint cosmic-person figure in the sky; restrained colors, intricate borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi resolved: vinyasettatra → विन्यसेत् + तत्र. Mantra padas kept as uttered: ॐ, आं, नमः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 59 (praṇava-linked nyāsa mantras)
FAQs
It teaches a specific nyāsa step: installing the syllable ‘ha’ on the prescribed locus, performed together with the praṇava (Oṃ) and accompanied by salutatory mantras to Parameṣṭhin-Ātman and Puruṣa-Ātman.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical liturgical technology—bīja-syllables, praṇava usage, and nyāsa—showing its role as a manual of ritual methods alongside its many other disciplines.
Nyāsa sacralizes the practitioner’s body/ritual space by identifying it with the Supreme (Parameṣṭhin) and the Cosmic Person (Puruṣa), aiming at purification, steadiness of mind, and efficacy (siddhi) of the worship.