Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 30
Chapter 81 — समयदीक्षाविधानम्
Procedure for Samaya Initiation
ऐशे कुम्भे यजेच्छम्भुं शक्तिं कुम्भस्य दक्षिणे पश्चिमस्यान्तु सिंहस्थां वर्धनीं खड्गरूपिणीं
aiśe kumbhe yajecchambhuṃ śaktiṃ kumbhasya dakṣiṇe paścimasyāntu siṃhasthāṃ vardhanīṃ khaḍgarūpiṇīṃ
Dans un tel kumbha consacré, on doit adorer Śambhu (Śiva). Au côté sud du kumbha, on doit adorer Śakti ; et au côté ouest, Vardhanī—assise sur un lion et ayant la forme d’une épée.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s ritual instructions)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Kumbha-pūjā mapping: assign deities to specific sides of the consecration pot—Śiva in the kumbha, Śakti to the south, and Vardhanī to the west with defined iconography—so the rite is spatially coherent and repeatable.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kumbha-devatā Nyāsa: Śambhu, Śakti, and Vardhanī (Siṃhāsanā, Khaḍga-rūpiṇī)","lookup_keywords":["kumbha-pūjā","Śambhu","Śakti","Vardhanī","khaḍga-rūpiṇī"],"quick_summary":"Worship Śiva in the kumbha; place/worship Śakti on its southern side; worship Vardhanī on the western side, visualized as lion-seated and sword-formed, to secure growth and protection in the rite."}
Weapon Type: Sword (khaḍga)
Concept: Śiva-Śakti polarity is ritually ‘distributed’ in space; specific forms (lion-seat, sword) encode functions—sovereignty, courage, and safeguarding of auspicious increase (vardhana).
Application: When performing kumbha-pūjā, keep consistent deity placement; use Vardhanī’s sword-form as a protective visualization while sealing the western side of the ritual space.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Kalpa (Kumbha-puja and Mandala-deity placement)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A consecration pot at center: Śiva worship focused into the kumbha; to the south a radiant Śakti presence; to the west Vardhanī depicted as a lion-seated goddess whose essence is a gleaming sword, guarding the ritual perimeter.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central kumbha with Śiva-symbolism (liṅga aura), Śakti as red-gold radiance on south, Vardhanī on west seated on lion holding/embodying a sword, bold outlines and temple-lamp ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold haloed Vardhanī on lion with prominent jeweled sword, embossed gold around kumbha, Śakti on south with ornate crown, rich decorative borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic yet elegant: kumbha in center, labels for south and west placements, Vardhanī lion-seat and sword emphasized, priest offering flowers and incense","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined courtly ritual scene: kumbha on altar, attendants; west side shows lion-seated Vardhanī with sword, south side shows Śakti figure; delicate architectural framing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यजेच्छम्भुं = यजेत् + शम्भुम् (t + ś → cch); पश्चिमस्यान्तु = पश्चिमस्य + अन्तु; सिंहस्थां = सिंह + स्थाम्; खड्गरूपिणीं = खड्ग + रूपिणीम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 81 (kalaśa-sthāpana and dikpāla-arcana surrounding the kumbha)
FAQs
It gives a kumbha-pūjā placement rule: worship Śambhu in the kumbha arrangement, install/worship Śakti to the south of the pot, and Vardhanī (lion-seated, sword-formed) to the west.
It preserves precise kalpa/ritual engineering—directional deity placement, iconographic descriptors (lion-seat, sword-form), and procedural worship steps—showing the text’s practical manual-like coverage beyond mythology.
Correct directional installation and worship is taught as a means to align the rite with divine powers (Śiva–Śakti and protective/augmenting forms), supporting ritual purity, protection, and the intended fruit of the consecration.