Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 44
Chapter 72 — स्नानविशेषादिकथनम्
Special Rules of Bathing, Mantra-Purification, and Sandhyā
सनत्कुमाराय वषट् कपिलाय तथा वषट् पञ्चशिखाय द्युभवे संलग्नकरमूलतः
sanatkumārāya vaṣaṭ kapilāya tathā vaṣaṭ pañcaśikhāya dyubhave saṃlagnakaramūlataḥ
« (L’exclamation vaṣaṭ) à Sanatkumāra ; de même vaṣaṭ à Kapila ; vaṣaṭ à Pañcaśikha ; et à Dyubhava. » (À accomplir en joignant les bases des doigts, selon le geste rituel).
Lord Agni (narrating the ritual procedure to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Recipient-specific vaṣaṭ offerings to Sanatkumāra, Kapila, Pañcaśikha, and Dyubhava, coupled with a prescribed hand/finger-root placement (mudrā/nyāsa-like gesture) to standardize the ritual act.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vaṣaṭ offerings to Sanatkumāra–Kapila–Pañcaśikha–Dyubhava with saṃlagna-karamūla gesture","lookup_keywords":["Sanatkumāra vaṣaṭ","Kapila","Pañcaśikha","Dyubhava","saṃlagna karamūla"],"quick_summary":"Offer vaṣaṭ to specified sages/teachers; perform the act with the bases of the fingers joined, indicating a defined mudrā/hand-placement accompanying the oblation or tarpaṇa."}
Concept: Honoring knowledge-lineages (Kapila/Pañcaśikha as Sāṃkhya teachers; Kumāra as jñāna exemplar) while emphasizing that correct bodily technique (mudrā) supports ritual efficacy.
Application: When performing ṛṣi-tarpaṇa/homa segments, keep consistent mudrā/hand placement to reduce error and maintain focused saṅkalpa toward the intended recipient.
Khanda Section: Mantra-japa and Rishi-tarpana / Nyasa-oriented Ritual Section (Agni Purana: ancillary ritual instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest at a homa altar offering vaṣaṭ while demonstrating the ‘joined finger-bases’ hand position; behind, four revered teachers appear as subtle visionary forms: Sanatkumāra (youthful sage), Kapila (ascetic teacher), Pañcaśikha (disciple-teacher), and Dyubhava (sage figure).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, close-up emphasis on hands with finger-bases joined, homa fire below, four sage-figures in the background with halos, stylized palm-leaf manuscripts, warm ochre-red palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-highlighted hands in mudrā, ornate altar, four sages with embossed gold halos, rich decorative borders, luminous fire rendered with gold accents","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional focus: clear depiction of saṃlagna-karamūla gesture, priest seated by kuṇḍa, small portrait medallions of Sanatkumāra, Kapila, Pañcaśikha, Dyubhava, fine linework and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate ritual scene with detailed hands and implements, sages appearing in delicate smoke-clouds, refined facial features, calligraphic labels for each recipient"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sanatkumārāya = sanat + kumārāya (t-k junction); saṃlagnakaramūlataḥ is an avyayībhāva-style adverbial compound with -taḥ (ablatival).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 72 (nyāsa/mudrā adjuncts to homa and ṛṣi-tarpaṇa)
FAQs
It prescribes vaṣaṭ-directed offerings/invocations to specific sages (Sanatkumāra, Kapila, Pañcaśikha, Dyubhava) and indicates a precise hand/finger-base joining (a nyāsa-like placement) while performing the recitation or oblation.
Beyond mythology, it preserves procedural ritual technology—mantra cues (vaṣaṭ), named recipients (ṛṣi/ācārya line), and embodied technique (hand-placement)—showing the text’s manual-like coverage of practical liturgy alongside wider subjects.
Correctly directed vaṣaṭ offerings and disciplined gesture/placement are traditionally held to ensure mantra-siddhi, ritual purity, and the intended merit (puṇya) of the homa or invocation without procedural fault (doṣa).