Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 49
Agnisthāpana-vidhi (Procedure for Establishing the Sacred Fire) and Protective Īśāna-kalpa Homa Sequences
ससेनं भास्करं परमिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शासनं भास्करं परमिति ग, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शाशनं भास्रं परमिति ङ चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शासनं त्र्यक्षरं परमिति घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः ग्रासार्धमात्रमन्नानां सूक्ष्माणि पञ्च होमयेत् इक्षोरापर्विकं मानं लतानामङ्गुलद्वयं
sasenaṃ bhāskaraṃ paramiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śāsanaṃ bhāskaraṃ paramiti ga, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śāśanaṃ bhāsraṃ paramiti ṅa cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śāsanaṃ tryakṣaraṃ paramiti gha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ grāsārdhamātramannānāṃ sūkṣmāṇi pañca homayet ikṣorāparvikaṃ mānaṃ latānāmaṅguladvayaṃ
«sasenaṃ bhāskaraṃ param»—telle est la leçon du manuscrit marqué dans la recension kha; «śāsanaṃ bhāskaraṃ param»—dans la recension ga; «śāśanaṃ bhāsraṃ param»—dans la recension ṅa; «śāsanaṃ tryakṣaraṃ param»—dans la recension gha. Pour les offrandes de nourriture, on doit offrir cinq portions très fines, chacune de la mesure d’une demi-bouchée. La mesure pour la canne à sucre est āparvika; pour les lianes (lata), deux largeurs de doigt.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Text-critical awareness of variant readings plus practical rules for homa/offerings: minute food portions (half-mouthful, five times), and standard measures for sugarcane and creepers (vines) used as offerings/materials.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Pāṭha-bheda Notes and Offering Measures (Anna, Ikṣu, Latā)","lookup_keywords":["pāṭha-bheda","grāsārdha","ikṣu-māna","latā-māna","sūkṣma-homa"],"quick_summary":"Records manuscript variants for a phrase, then prescribes precise offering measures: five fine food portions each half a mouthful; sugarcane by āparvika measure; vines by two finger-breadths."}
Concept: Śāstra is preserved through careful transmission (pāṭha-bheda noted) and applied through exact measurement; correctness is both philological and practical.
Application: When teaching/performing rites, document variant readings and choose a consistent pāṭha; keep offering measures standardized to avoid procedural drift.
Khanda Section: Agni-vidhi / Homa-prayoga (Ritual measurements and offerings)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe-scholar compares multiple palm-leaf manuscripts with marginal marks showing variant readings; beside him a ritualist measures tiny food portions for homa, with sugarcane and vine pieces measured by traditional units (half-mouthful, finger-breadths).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split scene: manuscript comparison with palm leaves and stylus, and a homa altar with tiny measured offerings; sugarcane stalk and vine segments shown with finger-breadth measure, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, scholar-saint holding palm-leaf manuscripts with gold-highlighted margins, nearby homa setup with neatly arranged minute offerings, sugarcane and vine as ritual materials, rich decorative framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic: show variant readings as labeled manuscript panels (kha/ga/ṅa/gha), and measurement diagrams for grāsārdha, āparvika, and aṅgula-dvaya; clean lines and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined library-ritual setting: scholars collating manuscripts, careful marginalia, then a small fire altar with precisely portioned offerings; sugarcane and vine measured with fingers, meticulous detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाठभेद-भागः (kha/ga/ṅa/gha) सम्पादकीय-सूचना; ग्रासार्धमात्रमन्नानां = ग्रास-अर्ध-मात्रम् + अन्नानाम्; इक्षोरापर्विकं = इक्षोः + अपरर्विकम्; लतानामङ्गुलद्वयं = लतानाम् + अङ्गुल-द्वयम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 75 (homa-mātrā; dravya-māna; mantra-pāṭha context)
FAQs
It prescribes precise homa quantities: five subtle portions of food-offerings, each measured as half a mouthful, and it states standard measures for specific ritual items—sugarcane (āparvika measure) and creepers (two aṅgulas).
Alongside theology, it preserves practical, technical standards—named measures (pramāṇas), calibrated offering sizes, and even manuscript variant notes—showing the text’s compendium-like concern for ritual procedure and transmission.
By standardizing offerings and measures, the verse emphasizes correctness (vidhi) in homa, which is traditionally held to ensure the intended purificatory and merit-bearing (puṇya) results of ritual action.