Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 49
Chapter 61 — द्वारप्रतिष्ठाध्वजारोहाणादिविधिः
Gateway Installation, Flag Hoisting, and Allied Rites
पात्रं ध्वजं कुञ्जरादि दद्यादाचार्यके द्विजः एष साधारणः प्रोक्तो ध्वजस्यारोहणे विधिः
pātraṃ dhvajaṃ kuñjarādi dadyādācāryake dvijaḥ eṣa sādhāraṇaḥ prokto dhvajasyārohaṇe vidhiḥ
Un dvija (deux-fois-né) doit offrir à l’ācārya officiant un vase, le drapeau, ainsi que des dons tels qu’un éléphant et autres. Telle est déclarée la règle générale pour le hissage de la bannière rituelle.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for dakṣiṇā and honoraria to the ācārya during dhvaja-ārohaṇa: offering a vessel, the banner, and high-value gifts (e.g., elephant) as part of public festival patronage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dhvaja-ārohaṇa Sādhāraṇa-vidhi (Gifts to Ācārya)","lookup_keywords":["dhvaja-ārohaṇa","ācārya-dakṣiṇā","pātra-dāna","kuñjara-dāna","sādhāraṇa-vidhi"],"quick_summary":"For flag-hoisting, the patron (twice-born) should present ritual requisites and suitable gifts to the officiant; this constitutes the general (sādhāraṇa) procedure ensuring proper remuneration and auspicious completion."}
Concept: Dāna and proper honoring of the ritual specialist sustains yajña-like order; generosity is integral to rite, not an optional add-on.
Application: Budget and plan dakṣiṇā and gifts as part of festival logistics; align gifts with capacity and local custom while maintaining the principle of honoring the ācārya.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dhvaja-arohana / Temple & festival flag-raising rite)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"During a temple festival, the patron presents a ritual vessel and the folded banner to the ācārya; attendants display grand gifts such as an elephant, indicating royal-scale patronage.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, frontal figures: ācārya seated on a low seat, patron offering pātra and dhvaja cloth, attendants with stylized elephant, temple lamps and floral festoons, saturated reds/ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold highlights on vessels and ornaments, richly caparisoned elephant, patron with folded hands offering the banner, ācārya with sacred thread and palm-leaf text, ornate arch frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic layout: items labeled (pātra, dhvaja, dāna), calm courtly palette, emphasis on exchange gesture and ritual propriety","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court-festival ambience, detailed textiles of the banner, elephant with mahout, ācārya receiving gifts, architectural depth and fine border patterns"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dadyādācāryake = dadyāt + ācāryake; dhvajasyārohaṇe = dhvajasya + ārohaṇe.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 61 (Dhvajārohaṇa rites and associated dāna); Agni Purana 62 (Pratiṣṭhā rites where dakṣiṇā patterns recur)
FAQs
It prescribes the standard (sādhāraṇa) rule for dhvaja-ārohaṇa: the patron should give ritual items and honorarium—vessel, the banner itself, and major gifts (e.g., an elephant) to the officiating ācārya.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana records practical temple-and-festival protocols—down to required gifts and priestly remuneration—showing it functions as a manual of applied ritual culture.
By properly honoring the ācārya and completing dhvaja-ārohaṇa with prescribed gifts, the rite is considered duly concluded, supporting ritual purity, auspiciousness, and the accrual of religious merit (puṇya) through dāna.