Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 8
Chapter 91 — विविधमन्त्रादिकथनम्
Teaching of Various Mantras and Related Matters
सङ्ख्यावृन्दे जीविताब्दं यमो ऽब्ददशहा ध्रुवं सूर्येभास्येशदुर्गाश्रीविष्णुमन्त्रैर् लिखेत् कजे
saṅkhyāvṛnde jīvitābdaṃ yamo 'bdadaśahā dhruvaṃ sūryebhāsyeśadurgāśrīviṣṇumantrair likhet kaje
Dans un groupe (agencement) de nombres, on doit écrire « jīvitābda » (années de vie), « yama » (mort), « abdadaśahā » (le destructeur de dix ans) et « dhruva » (le fixe/le polaire) ; puis les inscrire sur de l’écorce de bouleau, au moyen des mantras de Sūrya, Bhāskara, Īśa (Śiva), Durgā, Śrī et Viṣṇu.
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Constructing a protective numerical yantra/array and inscribing it on birch-bark with specified deity-mantras to safeguard life-span, avert death-portents, and stabilize fortune.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Saṅkhyā-vṛnda Yantra on Bhūrja: Inscription of Life–Death Markers with Sūrya–Īśa–Durgā–Śrī–Viṣṇu Mantras","lookup_keywords":["yantra-lekhana","saṅkhyā-vṛnda","bhūrja-patra","jīvitābda","yama","dhruva"],"quick_summary":"Write a structured number-array containing life-span and death-signifiers, then inscribe it on birch-bark empowered by solar, śaiva, śākta, śrī, and vaiṣṇava mantras for protection and stability."}
Concept: Writing (lekhana) plus mantra (śabda-śakti) plus number-order (saṅkhyā) forms a composite ritual technology for protection and stabilization of fate-signs.
Application: Create a consecrated talisman: prepare clean bhūrja, write the array with purity rules, recite the specified deity-mantras, and keep it as a protective amulet or place it in a sanctified space.
Khanda Section: Mantra-yantra-lekhana (Protective diagrams, deity-mantras, and ritual inscriptions)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Śānta
Type: Region/Material-culture
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual scribe drawing a numeric yantra on birch-bark, with small deity emblems around it (sun-disc for Sūrya, trident for Īśa, lion for Durgā, lotus for Śrī, conch/discus for Viṣṇu); lamp and water-vessel nearby.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest-scribe seated with bhūrja sheet, bold symbolic emblems of the five deities around a central number-array, flat colors, ritual implements (dīpa, kalaśa), sacred interior.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central birch-bark yantra with gold-leaf highlighting borders and deity emblems, rich reds, ornate halo-like framing around the yantra, priest figure in profile writing with stylus.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, highly legible yantra diagram on bhūrja, careful linework, instructional clarity, gentle palette, minimal but precise ritual objects.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier-like ritual desk with birch-bark sheet, fine calligraphy and numerals, detailed lamp and vessels, small deity symbols in margins, delicate gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Suryakant (or a bright morning raga such as Lalit)","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यमो ऽब्ददशहा → यमः अब्द-दश-हा. सूर्येभास्येशदुर्गाश्रीविष्णुमन्त्रैर् → सूर्य-इभास्य-ईश-दुर्गा-श्री-विष्णु-मन्त्रैः. मन्त्रैर् लिखेत् → मन्त्रैः लिखेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: yantra-lekhana and mantra-prayoga passages in ch. 91 following praśna/nimitta rules; Agni Purana: stotra/mantra sections invoking Sūrya, Śiva, Durgā, Lakṣmī, Viṣṇu elsewhere in the text
FAQs
It teaches mantra-yantra practice: arranging specific power-terms within a numeric array and inscribing them on birch-bark using deity-mantras for ritual efficacy.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical ritual technology—how to construct and write talismanic diagrams (yantras) with specified deity-mantras and media—showing the text’s coverage of applied mantra-śāstra.
By invoking multiple deity-mantras and writing them in a regulated pattern, the act is treated as a protective and purificatory rite aimed at stabilizing life-force, warding misfortune, and strengthening auspiciousness.