Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 19
Śānti-Śodhana-Kathana (Instruction on the Purification of Śānti) — Agni Purāṇa, Adhyāya 87
ॐ हां ईश्वर बुद्ध्यहङ्कारौ शुल्कं गृहाण स्वाहा निःशेषदग्धपाशस्य पशोरस्येश्वर त्वया न स्थेयं बन्धकत्वेन शिवाज्ञां श्रावयेदिति
oṃ hāṃ īśvara buddhyahaṅkārau śulkaṃ gṛhāṇa svāhā niḥśeṣadagdhapāśasya paśorasyeśvara tvayā na stheyaṃ bandhakatvena śivājñāṃ śrāvayediti
« Oṃ, hāṃ. Ô Īśvara, reçois l’honorarium (śulka) fait de buddhi (intellect) et d’ahaṅkāra (sens du moi) ; svāhā. Ô Seigneur, pour ce “paśu” sacrificiel dont les liens (pāśa) ont été entièrement brûlés, ne demeure pas comme un lieur ; au contraire, proclame l’ordre de Śiva. »
Lord Agni (narrating the ritual/mantra procedure in the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Mantra-prayoga that internalizes the śulka as surrender of buddhi and ahaṅkāra, and ritually declares liberation of the paśu (bound soul) by removal of pāśa, aligning the officiant’s intent with Śiva’s command.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Śulka as buddhi-ahaṅkāra offering; pāśa-burnt paśu liberation injunction","lookup_keywords":["hāṃ mantra","buddhi ahaṅkāra śulka","paśu pāśa dagdha","Śivājñā","binder not remain"],"quick_summary":"Offer intellect and ego as the ritual fee; affirm that once bonds are burnt, the Lord is not to function as binder but as revealer of Śiva’s liberating command."}
Concept: Paśu–pāśa–pati framework: bondage is dissolved; the decisive ‘offering’ is surrender of ego and intellect, culminating in obedience to Śiva’s liberating injunction.
Application: In dīkṣā/pūjā, treat the ‘fee’ as inner tyāga: relinquish self-authoring (ahaṅkāra) and rigid cognition (buddhi) to stabilize non-bondage and avoid re-binding through ritual identity.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-prayoga (Tantric-ritual instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A guru-priest recites a mantra before Śiva’s emblem; a symbolic ‘bonded animal’ is shown as a subtle figure with burnt ropes dissolving into ash, while the offering is depicted as a luminous buddhi and ahaṅkāra being placed into a fire or at the deity’s feet.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Śiva as Īśvara with calm face, halo; symbolic paśu with fading rope-bonds; flames consuming pāśa; priest offering a glowing lotus labeled buddhi and a small self-figure labeled ahaṅkāra, earthy reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Śiva enthroned with gold aureole; devotee offering two gem-like emblems (buddhi, ahaṅkāra) in a bowl; stylized ropes burning near a small paśu figure; heavy gold work and rich textiles.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic composition—three icons for paśu, pāśa, pati; pāśa shown burning; mantra text panel; soft shading, fine linework, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly shrine setting; fine flames consuming rope; priest reciting; symbolic offerings rendered as luminous objects; delicate calligraphy of ‘svāhā’ and mantra in margin."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative-instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पशोरस्येश्वर = पशोः + अस्य + ईश्वर (समास/सन्धि-विच्छेद); निःशेषदग्धपाशस्य = निःशेष-दग्ध-पाशस्य (समास-श्रृंखला); शिवाज्ञाम् = शिवस्य आज्ञाम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 87 (Mantra-prayoga; śulka; pāśa-viccheda themes)
FAQs
It gives a homa-style mantra-prayoga: invoking Īśvara with the bīja “hāṃ,” offering with “svāhā,” and ritually surrendering buddhi and ahaṅkāra as the ‘fee’ so the paśu’s pāśa (bondage) is declared burnt and the deity ceases the role of binder.
Alongside narratives and dharma, the Agni Purana preserves practical liturgical technology—seed-syllables, oblation formulae, and doctrinal terms (paśu–pāśa) used in applied ritual contexts—showing its manual-like coverage of worship procedures.
By offering up ego and mental agency (ahaṅkāra–buddhi) and affirming the burning of bonds (pāśa), the rite symbolizes release from binding karma and reorientation under Śiva’s ordinance, aiming at purification and liberation-oriented merit.