Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 1
अध्याय ७३: सूर्यपूजाविधिः
Sūrya-pūjā-vidhi — The Procedure for Sun-Worship
इत्य् आदिमहापुराणे आग्नेये स्नानादिविधिर्नाम द्विसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः अथ त्रिसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूर्यपूजाविधिः ईश्वर उवाच वक्ष्ये सूर्यार्चनं स्कन्द कराङ्गन्यासपूर्वकं अहं तेजोमयः सूर्य इति ध्यात्वार्घ्यमर्चयेत्
ity ādimahāpurāṇe āgneye snānādividhirnāma dvisaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ atha trisaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūryapūjāvidhiḥ īśvara uvāca vakṣye sūryārcanaṃ skanda karāṅganyāsapūrvakaṃ ahaṃ tejomayaḥ sūrya iti dhyātvārghyamarcayet
Ainsi, dans l’Agni Purāṇa, s’achève le soixante-douzième chapitre intitulé « Règles du bain et rites connexes ». Commence maintenant le soixante-treizième chapitre : « Procédure du culte du Soleil ». Le Seigneur dit : « J’enseignerai l’adoration de Sūrya, ô Skanda, précédée du nyāsa, la pose consacratoire sur les mains et les membres. Méditant : “Je suis Sūrya, fait de splendeur”, on doit adorer en offrant l’arghya (l’offrande d’eau de respect). »
Īśvara (the Lord, speaking as the instructing deity within the Agni Purāṇa’s ritual discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Daily Sūrya-arcana: perform kara-aṅga-nyāsa, identify with solar tejas in dhyāna, and offer arghya as a structured morning worship.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sūrya-pūjā: Kara-aṅga-nyāsa, Tejomaya-dhyāna, Arghya-offering","lookup_keywords":["sūrya-arcana","nyāsa","arghya","tejomaya","dhyāna"],"quick_summary":"Sun-worship begins with nyāsa on hands/limbs, followed by the contemplation ‘I am Sūrya, made of radiance,’ culminating in arghya as the primary offering."}
Concept: Upāsanā through identification (ahaṃ-tejomayaḥ sūryaḥ): internalizing the deity’s quality (tejas) as a contemplative method.
Application: Use the dhyāna-vākya as a brief meditation before arghya; treat nyāsa as embodied attention (placing mantra-awareness onto limbs).
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi (Ritual Worship Procedures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Ritual-direction
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śiva (Īśvara) instructs Skanda on Sun-worship; a practitioner performs kara-nyāsa and aṅga-nyāsa, then offers arghya to a radiant solar disc at sunrise.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Śiva teaching Skanda in a temple-like setting; to the side, a devotee facing east with hands in nyāsa gestures; large radiant Sūrya-maṇḍala with lotus rays; ochres and reds, devotional calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Sūrya with gold halo and rays; foreground devotee offering arghya from a conch or vessel; Śiva and Skanda as small teaching vignette; heavy gold work emphasizing tejas.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic panel showing sequence—kara-nyāsa mudrās, aṅga-nyāsa points, then arghya posture facing east; clean labels and refined ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: sunrise over a riverbank; devotee offering arghya; subtle depiction of Śiva instructing Skanda in a pavilion; detailed textiles, soft gradients in sky."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Suryakant (or Lalit at dawn)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इत्य् = इति + (अ) (अवग्रह/यण्); ‘...तमो ऽध्यायः’ = तमः + अध्यायः (अवग्रह). ‘ध्यात्वा अर्घ्यम्’ → ध्यात्वार्घ्यम् (आ + अ = आ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Snāna-vidhi chapter conclusion preceding this (72); Agni Purana sections on nyāsa, mantra-pūjā, and arghya offerings (where present)
FAQs
It teaches a structured Sūrya-arcana: perform kara-nyāsa and aṅga-nyāsa first, then meditate on identity with the radiant Sun, and conclude the worship by offering arghya (ritual water-oblation).
It functions like a compact ritual manual entry—naming the chapter, defining the rite’s sequence (nyāsa → dhyāna → arghya), and thereby illustrating how the Agni Purāṇa catalogues practical liturgical procedures alongside many other disciplines.
By combining nyāsa (sacralizing the body), non-dual style meditation on divine radiance, and arghya (reverential offering), the practice is framed as a purifying act that aligns the worshipper with Sūrya’s tejas and supports religious merit through disciplined devotion.