Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 17
Chapter 78 — पवित्रारोहणकथनं
Pavitrārohaṇa: Installing the Sanctifying Thread/Garland
ग्रन्थयो मानमप्येषां लिङ्गविस्तारसस्मितं सप्तम्यां वा त्रयोदश्यां कृतनित्यक्रियः शुचिः
granthayo mānamapyeṣāṃ liṅgavistārasasmitaṃ saptamyāṃ vā trayodaśyāṃ kṛtanityakriyaḥ śuciḥ
Il faut aussi connaître leurs mesures prescrites : le liṅga doit être façonné selon les proportions et l’extension indiquées ; et, au septième ou au treizième jour lunaire, après avoir accompli les rites quotidiens obligatoires, on doit être pur et poursuivre l’observance.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Selecting auspicious tithi (7th/13th) and maintaining ritual purity while preparing/commissioning a liṅga with prescribed proportions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Liṅga measurement and observance on Saptamī/Trayodaśī with śauca","lookup_keywords":["liṅga-māna","vistarā","saptamī","trayodaśī","nitya-kriyā"],"quick_summary":"Know the prescribed proportions of the liṅga and undertake the observance on the 7th or 13th lunar day after completing daily rites and maintaining purity."}
Concept: Śauca and nitya-karma as prerequisites for effective ritual action; sacred form must follow correct māna.
Application: Before any consecratory act, complete daily duties, keep body/mind clean, and follow canonical measurements to avoid ritual defects (doṣa).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Vrata and ritual observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A clean ritual space where an artisan-priest measures and shapes a Śiva-liṅga with a measuring cord; nearby a calendar/pañcāṅga indicates Saptamī/Trayodaśī; the practitioner has completed daily rites and sits purified.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Śaiva shrine setting, priest with white cloth and sacred thread, measuring the liṅga with a cord, attendants holding flowers and water pot, stylized pañcāṅga motif, warm ochres and greens.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central black stone liṅga with gold halo-like ornamentation, priest measuring with a golden scale, rich textiles, gold work on ritual vessels, auspicious tithi symbols in corners.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional clarity: measuring tools, proportional marks on the liṅga, priest performing nitya-kriyā then preparing for vrata, soft pastel palette and fine outlines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier-like scene: craftsman-priest measuring a polished liṅga, detailed ritual implements, a small manuscript/pañcāṅga open to the 7th/13th day, delicate architectural niche."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मानमप्येषां = मानम् अपि एषाम्; लिङ्गविस्तारसस्मितं = लिङ्ग-विस्तार-सस्मितम्; ग्रन्थयो = ग्रन्थयोः (IAST granthayo)
Related Themes: Agni Purana pūjā-vidhi sections on liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and māna (within ch.78 and nearby ritual chapters)
FAQs
It specifies ritual prerequisites: the correct proportional measurement of a liṅga and the appropriate tithis (Saptamī or Trayodaśī), to be undertaken only after completing daily obligatory rites in a state of purity.
It shows the text’s practical ritual manual character—combining icon/ritual specifications (measurements and form) with calendrical timing (tithi rules) and purity requirements, typical of its wide-ranging, procedural coverage.
By insisting on correct form, proper timing, and ritual cleanliness after nitya-karma, the act is framed as a disciplined observance that enhances merit (puṇya) and reduces ritual fault (doṣa).