Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 27
Chapter 83 — निर्वाणदीक्षाकथनम्
Description of the Nirvāṇa Initiation
विधाय नाभिसूत्रस्थां सन्निधायाहुतीर्यजेत् ह्रीं भुवनानां शतं साग्रंपदानामष्टविंशतिं
vidhāya nābhisūtrasthāṃ sannidhāyāhutīryajet hrīṃ bhuvanānāṃ śataṃ sāgraṃpadānāmaṣṭaviṃśatiṃ
Après avoir ordonné (le rite) avec le (nyāsa/mantra) établi au « fil du nombril » (nābhi-sūtra), et après avoir disposé à proximité les oblations (āhuti), on doit accomplir l’offrande. On emploiera le bīja « hrīṃ », avec cent (récitations/oblations) relatives aux bhuvana (mondes), et vingt-huit unités de padāni (unités métriques/mots) au complet.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Japa-homa coordination: placing nyāsa at the nābhi-sūtra locus, arranging āhutis, and performing counted recitations/offerings with the bīja hrīṃ tied to cosmological enumeration (bhuvana count; pada count).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Homa with nābhi-sūtra-nyāsa: hrīṃ-bīja, bhuvana-śata, aṣṭāviṃśati-padāni","lookup_keywords":["homa","nābhi-sūtra","hrīṃ","bhuvana-śata","padāni 28"],"quick_summary":"Establish nyāsa at the navel-thread locus, keep oblations ready, and offer with hrīṃ in a fixed count—100 linked to bhuvanas and 28 linked to pada-units—so the rite is numerically sealed."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy is stabilized by locus (nābhi as madhya), proximity of offerings, and strict numerical discipline in mantra and oblation counts.
Application: When performing homa, fix a bodily/ritual center (nābhi-nyāsa), pre-arrange āhuti materials, and complete the prescribed counts without break to maintain continuity (akhaṇḍa-krama).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-japa and Homa-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A homa altar with fire blazing; the practitioner touches the navel region (nābhi-sūtra-nyāsa) then offers ghee with a ladle while repeating hrīṃ in counted cycles; tally marks or beads indicate 100 and 28 counts.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, square homa-kuṇḍa with stylized flames, priest seated in yogic posture, hand at navel then extending to fire with ladle, bead-string visible, warm ochres and reds, rhythmic repetition implied by repeated flame motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf fire aura and vessel highlights, ornate homa-kuṇḍa border, hrīṃ written in Devanagari on a scroll-like band, rich textile patterns, devotional solemnity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: homa items neatly arranged (āhuti bowl, sruva, samidh), practitioner marking counts with mālā, subtle annotations for 100 and 28, soft palette and fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor yajña scene with detailed utensils, thin smoke trails, calligraphic hrīṃ cartouche, attendants holding offerings, precise counting depicted via beads and ledger-like marks."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sannidhāyāhutīryajet → sannidhāya āhutīḥ yajet; sāgraṃpadānāmaṣṭaviṃśatiṃ → sāgram padānām aṣṭaviṃśatim.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 83 (japa-homa and nyāsa sequence)
FAQs
It gives a procedural homa instruction: prepare the ritual focal point (nābhi-sūtra), keep oblations ready, and perform offerings while employing the bīja “hrīṃ” with specified counts (a hundred related to the bhuvanas and a twenty‑eight unit count of padāni).
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual-mathematics—linking mantra-bīja usage with precise numerical prescriptions for japa/āhuti, showing the Purana’s manual-like coverage of pūjā, homa, and mantra-vidhi.
By performing homa with correct mantra-bīja and prescribed counts, the rite is considered properly “siddha” (effectively completed), supporting purification and merit through disciplined, rule-bound worship.