Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 26
Chapter 66: साधारणप्रतिष्ठाविधानम्
The Procedure for General Consecration
पूर्वोक्तेन विधानेन प्रविशेच्च गृहं गृही अनिवारितमन्नाद्यं सर्वेष्वेतेषु कारयेत्
pūrvoktena vidhānena praviśecca gṛhaṃ gṛhī anivāritamannādyaṃ sarveṣveteṣu kārayet
Selon la procédure précédemment énoncée, le maître de maison doit entrer dans la demeure; et, dans tous ces rites, il veillera à ce que nourriture et provisions soient offertes sans restriction (tenues librement disponibles pour les hôtes et les dépendants).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Householder conduct: enter the home by the prescribed rite and maintain an open-handed household economy where food/provisions are kept available for guests, dependents, and ritual participants.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Gṛha-praveśa by Pūrvokta-vidhi and Anivārita-annadāna","lookup_keywords":["gṛha-praveśa","pūrvokta-vidhi","anivārita","annādya","atithi"],"quick_summary":"Enter the house following the earlier stated ritual procedure, and ensure food and provisions are offered without restriction in all connected rites. The rule emphasizes hospitality as a standing vow of the gṛhastha."}
Concept: Gṛhastha-dharma is not only ritual correctness but ongoing generosity—food should be non-withheld (anivārita) for rightful seekers.
Application: Maintain a household practice of keeping food ready for guests/servants/ascetics; integrate hospitality into daily budgeting and kitchen routines.
Khanda Section: Grihya-vidhi (Householder Rituals and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Household space
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder performs an entry rite at the threshold and then supervises free distribution of food to guests and dependents within the home courtyard.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, threshold scene with auspicious markings, householder stepping in with ritual vessel, inside courtyard women/attendants serving food on leaves to guests, warm palette, serene expressions.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate doorway with gold embellishment, householder entering with lamp and kalasha, interior scene of annadāna with gold-highlighted vessels, symmetrical devotional composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear narrative panels: (1) gṛha-praveśa at doorway, (2) kitchen/store with provisions, (3) guests being served without restriction; fine lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic architecture with arched doorway, householder entering after rite, servants distributing food to visitors in courtyard, intricate textiles and utensils, naturalistic faces."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pūrvoktena = pūrva + uktena; praviśecca = praviśet + ca; annādyaṃ = anna + ādyam; sarveṣveteṣu (in running text) = sarveṣu + eteṣu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 66 (pūrvokta-vidhi referenced; gṛhya sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes gṛhapraveśa (entering a house) according to the prior ritual sequence and emphasizes annādya being kept anivārita—freely available—for proper completion of the domestic rite.
Alongside theology and cosmology, the Agni Purana records practical gṛhya-dharma: household ceremonies, procedural ritual steps, and social ethics like hospitality—showing its breadth as a manual of lived religious culture.
Ensuring unrestricted food-giving during such rites aligns the householder with dāna and atithi-sevā (guest-service), traditionally regarded as merit-producing (puṇya) and purifying for the home and its occupants.