Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā-kathana
Account of Installing Sūrya
विद्यामासनशय्यायां साङ्गं विन्यस्य भास्करं त्रितत्त्वं विन्यसेत्तत्र सस्वरं खादिपञ्चकं
vidyāmāsanaśayyāyāṃ sāṅgaṃ vinyasya bhāskaraṃ tritattvaṃ vinyasettatra sasvaraṃ khādipañcakaṃ
Sur le siège (ou lit rituel) de la Vidyā, après avoir accompli l’aṅga-nyāsa de Bhāskara (la divinité solaire), on doit y placer les « trois principes » (tri-tattva) ; puis on doit installer, avec les voyelles, le groupe de cinq commençant par « kha » (khādi-pañcaka).
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā nyāsa sequence: aṅga-nyāsa of Bhāskara on the vidyā-āsana/śayyā, then tri-tattva installation, then vowel-inclusive khādi-pañcaka varṇa-nyāsa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bhāskara Aṅga-nyāsa with Tri-tattva and Khādi-pañcaka Varṇa-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["bhāskara-aṅga-nyāsa","vidyā-āsana","tri-tattva","khādi-pañcaka","svara"],"quick_summary":"On the ritual seat of the Vidyā, perform Sūrya’s aṅga-nyāsa, install the tri-tattva framework, then place the khādi five consonants together with vowels—completing a structured mantra-body for the deity."}
Concept: Deity embodiment is constructed through ordered placements: limb-nyāsa (aṅga), principle-nyāsa (tattva), and phoneme-nyāsa (varṇa with svara).
Application: For Sūrya installation, follow the layered nyāsa logic—body (aṅga) → principles (tri-tattva) → phonemes (svara + khādi)—to avoid incomplete consecration.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa-Mantra-Vidhi / Tantric-ritual placements)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual couch/seat labeled ‘Vidyā-āsana’; the priest performs aṅga-nyāsa gestures for Sūrya, then places three principle-symbols (tri-tattva) and finally inscribes/visualizes vowels and the khādi five letters around the seat/icon.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Sūrya as radiant disc-personified above the vidyā-āsana; priest doing aṅga-nyāsa; tri-tattva shown as three glowing emblems; akṣaras (vowels + kha-ga-gha-ṅa-ca) arranged in a mandala-like ring.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, golden Sūrya with intense halo; vidyā-āsana richly ornamented; akṣaras embossed in gold around the border; priest in profile performing nyāsa; jewel-toned offerings.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, schematic clarity: seat/couch, stepwise nyāsa actions, tri-tattva icons, and neatly written akṣaras with vowels; soft gradients and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritualist seated before a low couch-altar; delicate calligraphy of vowels and khādi letters on a panel; tri-tattva symbols placed as small luminous objects; architectural niche with sun motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Suryakant","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विद्यामासनशय्यायां is treated as a dvandva-locus compound; विन्यसेत्तत्र → विन्यसेत् + तत्र.
Related Themes: Agni Purana ch.99 Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā sequence (continuation); Agni Purana nyāsa explanations in ch.98 (kriyā-śakti/jñāna placements)
FAQs
It teaches a specific nyāsa sequence: install Bhāskara with aṅga-nyāsa on the ritual seat, then place the tri-tattva triad, and finally perform varṇa-related placement involving the vowels and the khādi-pañcaka (a five-letter phonemic set).
Beyond narrative theology, it preserves precise liturgical technology—mantra-aṅga nyāsa and phonemic (varṇa) installations—showing the text’s coverage of practical ritual manuals alongside broader Purāṇic subjects.
By correctly installing the deity/mantra through ordered nyāsa (aṅga, tattva, and varṇa), the practitioner is understood to purify the body-mind as a ritual locus, stabilize mantra-power, and make the worship efficacious and merit-bearing.