Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 44
Pratiṣṭhā-sāmagrī-vidhāna — Prescription of Materials and Conditions for Consecration
धान्यपुञ्जकृताधारान् सवस्त्रान् स्रग्विभूषितान् कुम्भमण्डकानिति ख कुम्भगड्डुकानिति घ कुम्भगुण्डुकानिति ङ कुम्भसण्डकानिति छ कुम्भखण्डकानिति ज प्रायेण लक्ष्यकल्पने इति ग शयने लक्ष्यकं परे इति ज कुण्डसन्मितमिति ज सर्वांश्चेति घ , ज च सहिरण्यान् समालब्धान् गन्धपानीयपूरितान्
dhānyapuñjakṛtādhārān savastrān sragvibhūṣitān kumbhamaṇḍakāniti kha kumbhagaḍḍukāniti gha kumbhaguṇḍukāniti ṅa kumbhasaṇḍakāniti cha kumbhakhaṇḍakāniti ja prāyeṇa lakṣyakalpane iti ga śayane lakṣyakaṃ pare iti ja kuṇḍasanmitamiti ja sarvāṃśceti gha , ja ca sahiraṇyān samālabdhān gandhapānīyapūritān
Il faut disposer les kumbhas sur des supports faits de tas de grains, les couvrir d’étoffes et les orner de guirlandes. Selon les différentes recensions, on les nomme kumbha-maṇḍaka, kumbha-gaḍḍuka, kumbha-guṇḍuka, kumbha-saṇḍaka ou kumbha-khaṇḍaka. En général, ils sont établis comme « cibles/marques » (lakṣya) pour l’agencement rituel ; certains disent qu’ils constituent le lakṣya en lien avec le rite du lit (śayana). Dans certaines leçons, leur mesure est dite équivalente à celle d’un kuṇḍa (foyer de feu). Tous doivent être accompagnés d’or, touchés rituellement au titre de la consécration, et remplis d’une eau parfumée convenant aux offrandes.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Technical setup of consecrated kumbhas: placing on grain-heap pedestals, clothing and garlanding them, variant nomenclature across recensions, linking them to lakṣya (ritual targets) and kuṇḍa-measure, and filling with scented offering-water with gold accompaniment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Kumbha setup on dhānya-puñja supports; variant names; lakṣya/kuṇḍa measure; gandha-pānīya filling","lookup_keywords":["dhānya-puñja","kumbha-maṇḍaka","lakṣya-kalpana","kuṇḍa-sanmita","gandha-pānīya"],"quick_summary":"Explains how to physically install ritual jars—on grain heaps, clothed and garlanded—notes textual variants of their names, and prescribes consecration with gold and scented offering-water; also ties their sizing/role to lakṣya and sometimes kuṇḍa measure."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprāsa (light, via repeated kumbha-compounds)
Concept: Ritual material science: sanctity is operationalized through correct supports, adornment, measured placement, and consecrated contents; textual plurality is acknowledged via variant readings.
Application: For homa/śānti/pratiṣṭhā, build grain-heap pedestals, dress and garland each kumbha, include a token of gold, perform ālabhana (ritual touch), and fill with scented offering-water; document which recension’s nomenclature you follow.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dāna & Homa-upacāra / ritual requisites and offerings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rows of garlanded, cloth-wrapped kumbhas placed atop small pedestals made from heaps of grain; each jar has a gold token beside it and is being ritually touched while attendants pour scented water into them; marginal notes show variant names of the same vessel type.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yajñaśālā with multiple kumbhas on dhānya-puñja bases, bright garlands, white cloth wraps, priest performing ālabhana, assistants holding scented water pots, warm ochre-green palette, stylized script-like marginal variant names.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold leaf accenting the gold tokens and vessel rims, richly patterned cloth on kumbhas, garlands with jeweled highlights, homa pavilion backdrop, ornate border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, technical clarity: grain-heap supports drawn distinctly, kumbhas labeled with variant terms (maṇḍaka/gaḍḍuka/guṇḍuka/saṇḍaka/khaṇḍaka), stepwise depiction of filling with gandha-pānīya and placing gold, clean composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life rows of ritual jars on grain mounds, attendants in fine garments, careful depiction of garlands and textiles, calligraphic notes indicating variant names."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्रग्विभूषितान् = स्रक्/स्रज् + विभूषितान् (final k/j before v). सर्वांश्च = सर्वान् + च. Many ‘ख/घ/ङ/छ/ज/ग’ are manuscript-variant markers; treated as avyaya symbols. Variant readings list alternative names for kumbha-types.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 95 (kumbha/lakṣya/śayana/kuṇḍa-linked readings)
FAQs
It prescribes the correct preparation and placement of consecrated ritual pitchers (kumbhas)—set on grain-heap supports, clothed and garlanded, accompanied by gold, and filled with scented offering-water—along with noting manuscript-variant technical names and measures.
Beyond theology, it catalogs practical ritual technology: vessel typologies (multiple recension names), installation logic (lakṣya/placement rules), proportional standards (kuṇḍa-measure), and consecration details (gold association and scented water), showing the text’s manual-like breadth.
Properly consecrated and correctly installed kumbhas sanctify the rite, stabilize the deity-invocation and offering process, and are treated as merit-producing (puṇya) supports for purification and successful completion of the ritual intention.