Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 6
Kapilādipūjāvidhāna — Procedure for Worship Beginning with Kapilā
दत्तं गृह्णन्तु मे ग्रासं जप्त्वा स्यां निर्मलः शिवः प्रार्च्य विद्यापुस्तकानि गुरुपादौ नमेन्नरः
dattaṃ gṛhṇantu me grāsaṃ japtvā syāṃ nirmalaḥ śivaḥ prārcya vidyāpustakāni gurupādau namennaraḥ
«Qu’ils acceptent la bouchée de nourriture que j’ai donnée. Après avoir accompli le japa, puissé-je devenir purifié et de bon augure. Après avoir honoré comme il se doit les livres du savoir, l’homme doit se prosterner aux pieds du Guru.»
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Daily discipline: offering food (bhikṣā/anna-dāna), japa for purification, worship of learning tools (books), and guru-vandana to anchor study and conduct.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vidya-upāsanā with guru-vandana and śuddhi-japa","lookup_keywords":["guru-pāda-namana","vidyā-pustaka-pūjā","japa","anna-dāna","śuddhi"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes a sequence of conduct—offer food, perform japa for inner purity, worship books of learning, then bow to the Guru—framing study as a sacred discipline."}
Concept: Śuddhi (inner cleanliness) and vinaya (humility) as supports for vidyā; guru as living locus of knowledge transmission.
Application: Adopt as a daily pre-study routine: brief japa, respectful handling/worship of texts, and formal guru-pranāma (or mental pranāma if distant).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-japa, Guru-vandana, Vidya-upasana)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A student offers a morsel of food, then sits for japa, worships a stack of manuscripts on a small altar, and finally bows at the guru’s feet.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four-panel narrative in one frame: offering food, japa with rosary, worship of palm-leaf manuscripts with flowers, guru seated on wooden āsana receiving pranāma, warm earthy palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, guru enthroned with gold embellishments, student prostrating, manuscripts with gold borders on a low pedestal, lamps and lotus motifs, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional composition: sequence cues (food bowl, japa-mālā, books, guru feet), fine lines, subdued colors, didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor gurukula scene, detailed textiles and manuscripts, student in respectful posture, guru calm, small captions for each act"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: namennaraḥ → namet + naraḥ (t + n sandhi); prārcya is pra- + arcya (gerund).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 77 (pūjā-vidhi sequence around japa/naivedya)
FAQs
It teaches a compact daily discipline: give food (a charitable morsel), perform mantra-japa for inner purification, worship learning through honoring sacred/educational texts, and conclude with guru-vandana (bowing to the teacher).
By placing charity (dāna), mantra practice (japa), purity (śauca), and educational devotion (vidyā-pūjā) into one procedural instruction, it shows how the Agni Purana integrates ritual practice, ethics, and pedagogy within its broad compendium of disciplines.
Charity and japa are presented as purifying acts that generate auspiciousness (śiva) and moral cleanliness (nirmala), while honoring books and the guru aligns one’s learning with dharma and is treated as a merit-producing devotional act.