Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 8
Chapter 83 — निर्वाणदीक्षाकथनम्
Description of the Nirvāṇa Initiation
पुंसस्तु दक्षिणे भागे वामे नार्या नियोजयेत् शक्तिं च शक्तिमन्त्रेण पूजितान्तस्य मस्तके
puṃsastu dakṣiṇe bhāge vāme nāryā niyojayet śaktiṃ ca śaktimantreṇa pūjitāntasya mastake
Pour un homme, on doit disposer (le rite/le siège) du côté droit ; pour une femme, du côté gauche. Et, à la conclusion du culte, la Śakti doit être installée et vénérée au sommet de la tête de l’officiant au moyen du Śakti-mantra.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Gender-specific placement in ritual seating/installation and concluding śakti-sthāpana at the crown using the Śakti-mantra.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Right/left placement rule and Śakti-sthāpana at the crown","lookup_keywords":["dakṣiṇa-vāma","strī-puṃs","śakti-mantra","mastaka","sthāpana"],"quick_summary":"Ritual placement differs by gender (man-right, woman-left); at the conclusion, install and worship Śakti at the crown with the Śakti-mantra."}
Concept: Śakti is ritually ‘raised’/sealed at the crown as the culmination of worship, reflecting ascent and completion.
Application: Conclude practice with focused crown-centered japa/nyāsa to ‘seal’ the rite, maintaining composure and continuity after pūjā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Shakti/Tantric worship and ritual placement)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A concluding worship moment: the practitioner seated with ritual items; an indicated right/left placement depending on gender; Śakti installed at the crown with mantra recitation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, seated sādhaka with crown lotus highlighted, attendant symbols showing right/left placement, Śakti as a radiant feminine energy above the head, traditional lamps and floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, crown installation scene with heavy gold halo at the head, Śakti depicted as a small radiant deity-form above the crown, rich ornaments, ritual vessels, symmetrical composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction: two panels (male-right, female-left) and final crown-nyāsa, fine lines, soft colors, clear gesture of touching the crown while chanting","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined interior, practitioner touching crown, subtle luminous Śakti above, marginal notes indicating right/left, delicate patterns and subdued gold"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुंसस्तु = पुंसः + तु; शक्तिमन्त्रेण = शक्ति + मन्त्रेण (तत्पुरुष). ‘पूजितान्तस्य’ read as पूजित + अन्तस्य (तत्पुरुष); sense depends on ritual context and variant readings.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 83.6; Agni Purana 83.9; Agni Purana 83.10
FAQs
It gives a precise procedural rule for ritual placement based on gender (right for men, left for women) and prescribes installing/worshipping Śakti with the Śakti-mantra at the crown of the worshipper’s head at the completion of the rite (a nyāsa-like concluding placement).
Beyond mythology, it preserves detailed, practice-oriented liturgical instructions—side-orientation rules, mantra-specific worship, and bodily placement (mastaka/śiras)—showing the text’s coverage of applied ritual technology alongside broader religious teaching.
Correct orientation and mantra-guided installation of Śakti are presented as ensuring ritual completeness and purity, sealing the worship with divine power at the crown—symbolically elevating consciousness and securing the intended merit (puṇya) of the observance.