Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 3
Chapter 23 — पूजाविधिकथनम्
The Account of the Rules of Worship
विशेषयेदशेषन्तु ध्यायेत् कायात्तु कल्मषं क्षौं हृत्पङ्कजमध्यस्थं वीजं तेजोनिधिं स्मरन्
viśeṣayedaśeṣantu dhyāyet kāyāttu kalmaṣaṃ kṣauṃ hṛtpaṅkajamadhyasthaṃ vījaṃ tejonidhiṃ smaran
ત્યારબાદ સર્વનું સંપૂર્ણ રીતે વિશેષણ (પૃથક્કરણ) કરીને દેહનો કલ્મષ દૂર થાય છે એમ ધ્યાન કરવું. હૃદયપંકજના મધ્યમાં સ્થિત ‘ક્ષૌં’ બીજનું સ્મરણ કરવું—તે તેજનો નિધિ છે.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s ritual and meditative procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Internal purification by discriminative awareness and heart-lotus bija meditation on 'kṣauṃ' as radiant, supporting removal of mental/physical impurity before puja.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Hridaya-padma 'kṣauṃ' bija: tejas-nidhi for mala-kshaya","lookup_keywords":["kṣauṃ bija","hridaya-padma","tejas","kalmasa","antar-shuddhi"],"quick_summary":"Meditate on impurities being separated and removed while visualizing the radiant 'kṣauṃ' in the heart-lotus; the practice is framed as an inner cleansing step."}
Concept: Viveka (distinguishing) and tejas-dhyana as means to dissolve mala (impurity) and steady devotion.
Application: Pair breath-settling with heart-centered visualization; treat intrusive thoughts as 'kalmasa' to be released into the radiance of focused mantra-awareness.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-dhyana and Tantric bija practice)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A meditator visualizes a luminous 'kṣauṃ' syllable in a blooming heart-lotus, with dark impurities dissolving into a treasury of light.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, heart-lotus opened with bright golden-red center, 'kṣauṃ' in stylized script, dark wisps (kalmasa) burning away, serene face and strong outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf heart-lotus motif on the chest, radiant 'kṣauṃ' highlighted, ornate jewelry and halo, devotional luminosity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic heart-lotus with labeled center, 'kṣauṃ' in clear script, gradient glow showing tejas, impurities shown as fading gray clouds","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, subtle translucent chest-lotus overlay, fine calligraphy 'kṣauṃ', light emanations, contemplative interior setting"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: viśeṣayedaśeṣantu = viśeṣayet + aśeṣam + tu; kāyāttu = kāyāt + tu; hṛtpaṅkajamadhyasthaṃ = hṛt-paṅkaja-madhya-stham; tejonidhiṃ = tejas + nidhiṃ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 23 (continuation into agni/soma imagery and nectar flow)
FAQs
It teaches a purification-oriented dhyāna: discriminative inner focusing (viśeṣaṇa) and remembrance of the bīja “kṣauṃ” visualized at the heart-lotus center as a radiant seed, used for inner cleansing in mantra-meditation.
Alongside mythology and dharma, the Agni Purana preserves practical sādhanā-instructions—specific visualization loci (hṛtpadma), mantra-bīja usage, and purification methodology—showing its coverage of ritual technology and yogic-tantric practice.
By meditating on the removal of bodily kalmaṣa and fixing awareness on a luminous heart-centered bīja, the practitioner aims at inner purification, reduction of karmic defilement, and stabilization of sattvic clarity through mantra-smaraṇa.