Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 45
Agnisthāpana-vidhi (Procedure for Establishing the Sacred Fire) and Protective Īśāna-kalpa Homa Sequences
ततो हृदम्बुजे साङ्गं ससेनं भासुरं परं यजेत् पूर्ववदावाह्य प्रार्थ्याज्ञान्तर्पयेच्छिवं
tato hṛdambuje sāṅgaṃ sasenaṃ bhāsuraṃ paraṃ yajet pūrvavadāvāhya prārthyājñāntarpayecchivaṃ
Alors, dans le lotus du cœur, on doit vénérer Śiva, le Suprême, éclatant, avec ses aṅga (aspects auxiliaires) et ses troupes; l’ayant invoqué comme auparavant et après la prière, on doit apaiser (propitier) Śiva par l’oblation de la connaissance.
Lord Agni (instructional narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Internal (antaryāga) Śiva-upāsanā: invoke Śiva in the heart-lotus, worship with aṅgas/gaṇas, conclude with jñāna-tarpaṇa as a mental oblation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Hṛd-ambuja Antaryāga and Jñāna-tarpaṇa to Śiva","lookup_keywords":["hṛdambuja","antaryāga","āvāhana","śiva-upāsanā","jñāna-tarpaṇa"],"quick_summary":"Perform inner worship by invoking radiant Śiva into the heart-lotus, honoring him with attendant aspects and hosts; conclude by propitiation through the ‘oblation of knowledge’ (jñāna as offering)."}
Concept: Antaryāga: knowledge (jñāna) itself functions as an offering that satisfies the deity; inner altar supersedes externality when properly invoked.
Application: Use meditative visualization and contemplative offering (jñāna-tarpaṇa) as a daily practice when external ritual is limited.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dhyana, Avahana, Antaryaga, and Shiva-upasana within ritual manuals)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin seated in meditation visualizes a luminous Śiva enthroned within a blooming lotus at the heart, surrounded by subtle attendants/gaṇas; offerings are made as rays of knowledge rather than physical substances.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep mineral colors, central meditating sādhaka with transparent chest revealing a heart-lotus containing radiant Śiva with gaṇas, stylized flames of jñāna as offerings, ornate borders, sacred symmetry","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf, frontal radiant Śiva seated within a lotus medallion placed at the devotee’s heart, embossed aureole, small gaṇa attendants, rich reds and greens, devotional icon emphasis","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework and soft shading, instructional composition showing steps: āvāhana into heart-lotus, worship with aṅgas, concluding jñāna-tarpaṇa depicted as light-streams","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, delicate palette, a yogin in a quiet chamber, subtle haloed Śiva appearing within a heart-lotus motif, attendants rendered as small ethereal figures, emphasis on contemplative atmosphere"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हृदम्बुजे = हृत् + अम्बुजे; पूर्ववदावाह्य = पूर्ववत् + आवाह्य; प्रार्थ्याज्ञान्तर्पयेच्छिवं = प्रार्थ्य + आज्ञाम् + तर्पयेत् + शिवम् (तर्पयेत्+शिवम् → तर्पयेच्छिवम्)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 75 (Pūjā-vidhi: dhyāna, āvāhana, antaryāga)
FAQs
It teaches antaryāga (inner worship) centered on the hṛdaya-padma: invoke Śiva (āvāhana) as per prior rite, worship him with his aṅgas and gaṇas, and conclude with jñāna-tarpaṇa—propitiation through contemplative offering of spiritual knowledge.
Beyond myth, it preserves a compact ritual-technology: dhyāna in the heart-lotus, procedural continuity (“pūrvavat”), formal invocation (āvāhana), and a doctrinally loaded offering (jñāna-tarpaṇa), showing how the Agni Purāṇa functions as a practical manual for worship and meditative liturgy.
By internalizing worship in the heart-lotus and offering “knowledge” as tarpaṇa, the practitioner aligns devotion with insight, aiming at purification of ignorance (ajñāna) and stabilization in auspicious Śiva-consciousness rather than merely external ritual merit.