Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 29
Chapter 81 — समयदीक्षाविधानम्
Procedure for Samaya Initiation
आप्ये रत्नैः पूरयन्तीं हृदा मण्डपरूपिणीं अस्त्राम्बु इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः शिष्ये पापविमोचक इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः साम्बुवस्त्रे सरत्ने च धान्यस्थे पश्चिमानने
āpye ratnaiḥ pūrayantīṃ hṛdā maṇḍaparūpiṇīṃ astrāmbu iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ śiṣye pāpavimocaka iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ sāmbuvastre saratne ca dhānyasthe paścimānane
Dans le vase (d’eau), au moyen du mantra Hṛdā, on doit visualiser/établir l’énergie (ou la Déesse) de forme maṇḍala, comme remplie de joyaux. (Certains manuscrits marqués lisent ici « astrāmbu » ; et, dans l’instruction adressée au disciple, certains manuscrits marqués lisent « pāpavimocaka ».) On la placera sur un tissu humidifié d’eau, avec des gemmes, sur un lit de grains, le visage tourné vers l’ouest.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha (standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Kumbha/maṇḍala installation: visualize the maṇḍala-śakti in a water vessel via hṛd-mantra, enrich with ratna symbolism, and place the vessel on prescribed supports (wet cloth, gems, grain-bed) with correct orientation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Hṛdā-mantra Maṇḍala-nyāsa in Āpya-kalaśa with Ratna and Dhānya-āsana","lookup_keywords":["hṛdā-mantra","kalaśa","maṇḍala-rūpiṇī","ratna","dhānya-āsana"],"quick_summary":"Install/visualize the maṇḍala-form power in the water-vessel using the heart-mantra, ‘fill’ it with jewels in contemplation, and set the vessel on a damp cloth with gems over a bed of grain, oriented westward."}
Concept: Mantra-driven visualization (bhāvanā) ‘makes present’ the deity as maṇḍala; material supports (water, grain, gems) externalize inner abundance and stability.
Application: During pūjā, maintain correct vessel placement and orientation; treat supports as part of the rite (clean cloth, stable grain-bed), and keep visualization steady while reciting the hṛd-mantra.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra-Mantra (Ritual diagram, consecration, and mantra-nyasa instructions)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest consecrates a water pot: he recites the heart-mantra while visualizing a radiant maṇḍala-deity inside the vessel, imagined as brimming with jewels; the pot rests on a damp cloth with gems, placed atop a mound of grain, oriented to the west.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central kumbha glowing with mandala aura, stylized jewels within, priest in profile chanting, grain-bed and wet cloth rendered as patterned textures, warm lamp-lit mandapa","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, heavy gold work on the kumbha and mandala halo, embedded gem motifs, rich reds and greens, grain-bed as ornate base, priest with ritual implements","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional clarity: kumbha on wet cloth, gems, grain-bed, arrow indicating west orientation, priest performing mantra-japa with calm expression","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life of ritual objects: water pot, gems, damp cloth, grain heap; priest seated with manuscript and rosary; architectural setting with west-facing alignment"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मण्डपरूपिणीं = मण्डप + रूपिणीम्; अस्त्राम्बु = अस्त्र + अम्बु; साम्बुवस्त्रे = स + अम्बु + वस्त्रे; सरत्ने = स + रत्ने; पश्चिमानने = पश्चिम + आनने. ‘ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः’ are editorial apparatus, not classical padas.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 81 (kalaśa-sthāpana, nyāsa, dik-arcana sequence)
FAQs
It gives a precise ritual setup: empower/establish a maṇḍala-form using the hṛdaya (heart) mantra, use (variant) astra-empowered water for protection/purification, and place the ritual base on a water-damp cloth with gems, on a bed of grain, oriented west-facing.
It preserves highly technical liturgical detail—mantra-application (hṛdaya/astrā), material requisites (cloth, gems, grain), and spatial orientation—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical Tantra/Puja procedures alongside broader religious instruction.
The rite emphasizes purification and protection (pāpavimocaka/astrāmbu variants) and the correct consecration of sacred space; performing it properly is presented as removing impurity and stabilizing auspiciousness in the ritual field.