Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
Pratiṣṭhā-Kalaśa-Śodhana-Ukti (Instruction on Purifying the Consecration Pitcher) — Chapter 85
ॐ हां ह्रूं हांअप्तेजो वायुराकाशं तन्मात्रेन्द्रियबुद्धयः गुणत्रयमहङ्कारश् चतुर्विंशः पुमानिति
oṃ hāṃ hrūṃ hāṃaptejo vāyurākāśaṃ tanmātrendriyabuddhayaḥ guṇatrayamahaṅkāraś caturviṃśaḥ pumāniti
« Om—hāṃ hrūṃ hāṃ » ; puis (sont énoncés) l’eau, le feu, le vent et l’éther ; les tanmātras (éléments subtils), les indriyas (facultés sensorielles) et la buddhi (intellect) ; les trois guṇas et l’ahaṅkāra (l’egoïté) : ainsi est proclamé le « vingt-quatrième », le Puruṣa, la Personne.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Use as a mnemonic/mantric enumeration of Sāṅkhya tattvas (bhūtas, tanmātras, indriyas, buddhi, guṇas, ahaṅkāra) culminating in puruṣa; applied in nyāsa, meditation, and consecration contexts to map reality onto body/altar/icon.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāṅkhya Tattva-Mantra: Enumeration up to Puruṣa","lookup_keywords":["Sāṅkhya","tattva","tanmātra","indriya","puruṣa"],"quick_summary":"A compact mantra-like list of principles: elements and faculties culminating in the declaration of puruṣa as the ‘twenty-fourth’/culminant principle in this recitation scheme, used for contemplative installation and ritual mapping."}
Concept: Reality can be analyzed into enumerated principles (tattvas); puruṣa is distinct from evolutes and is the witnessing principle in Sāṅkhya-oriented mapping.
Application: For meditation/nyāsa: mentally place each tattva in sequence (from gross to subtle or vice versa) to stabilize discrimination (viveka) between puruṣa and prakṛti/evolutes.
Khanda Section: Sāṅkhya–Tattva-Nirūpaṇa (Cosmology and Enumeration of Principles)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic cosmic ladder: water, fire, wind, ether; subtle tanmātras; senses; buddhi; guṇas; ahaṅkāra; culminating in puruṣa—presented as a mantra-diagram for contemplation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular cosmogram with four elements as colored bands, inner rings for tanmātras and indriyas, central luminous puruṣa silhouette, traditional ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central golden puruṣa figure with radiating rings labeled as tattvas, gold work highlighting guṇas and buddhi, rich reds/greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional chart-like mandala: concentric circles with clear Sanskrit labels (āp, tejas, vāyu, ākāśa; tanmātra; indriya; buddhi; guṇa; ahaṅkāra; puruṣa), neat composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, allegorical cosmology page: elements personified around a central serene witness (puruṣa), fine calligraphy panels listing tattvas, delicate palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bageshri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हांअप्तेजो = हां + अप्-तेजः (मन्त्रपाठ-सन्धिः/संयोग); वायुराकाशं = वायुः + आकाशम्; महङ्कारश् = महङ्कारः + (अगला ध्वनि) इत्यर्थे विसर्ग-लोप; पुमानिति = पुमान् + इति.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa: tattva-nyāsa and pratiṣṭhā contemplations in ch. 85; Agni Purāṇa: cosmological enumerations elsewhere (bhuvana, rudra-saṅkhyā)
FAQs
It delivers Sāṅkhya-vidyā: a technical list of tattvas (principles)—elements, tanmātras, senses, buddhi, guṇas, and ahaṅkāra—culminating in the conscious principle (puruṣa), framed with invocatory bīja-syllables.
By embedding a concise Sāṅkhya taxonomy within a Purāṇic text, it shows the Agni Purāṇa’s scope beyond myth—cataloging philosophical doctrines (tattva-saṅkhyā) alongside ritual, dharma, and other sciences.
Discriminating puruṣa from the evolutes (guṇas, ahaṅkāra, senses, and elements) supports detachment and right knowledge (viveka), a classic basis for reducing karmic bondage through clearer self-identification with consciousness rather than material principles.