Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 5
Chapter 35: पवित्राधिवासनादिविधिः
Method of Consecrating the Pavitra and Related Rites
दर्भोदकञ्चाथ हृदा अग्नौ कुङ्कुमरोचनं ऐशान्यां शिरसा धूपं शिखया नैरृतेप्यथ
darbhodakañcātha hṛdā agnau kuṅkumarocanaṃ aiśānyāṃ śirasā dhūpaṃ śikhayā nairṛtepyatha
પછી હૃદા (હૃદય) મંત્રથી દર્ભ-જળ સ્થાપવું; અગ્નિમાં કુંકુમ અને રોચન અર્પણ/સ્થાપવું. ઈશાન ખૂણે શિરસ્ મંત્રથી ધૂપ મૂકવો; અને નૈઋત્ય દિશામાં શિખા મંત્રથી પણ તેમ જ કરવું.
Lord Agni (teaching the ritual procedure to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Aṅga-nyāsa/dik-nyāsa deployment: place darbha-water with hṛdaya-mantra; offer/place saffron and rocanā into fire; place incense in Īśāna with śiras-mantra and in Nairṛta with śikhā-mantra, aligning substances with directions and aṅga-mantras.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṅga-nyāsa Placement of Dravya by Directions (Hṛdaya–Śiras–Śikhā)","lookup_keywords":["hṛdaya-mantra","śiras-mantra","śikhā-mantra","īśāna","nairṛta"],"quick_summary":"Coordinate aṅga-mantras with specific offerings and directions: darbha-water at hṛdaya, saffron/rocanā in fire, incense in Īśāna with śiras and in Nairṛta with śikhā to stabilize the ritual mandala."}
Concept: Body (aṅga-mantras) and space (dik) are homologized; offerings placed in fire and quarters externalize inner nyāsa, making worship a psycho-ritual mapping.
Application: When performing nyāsa-based pūjā, keep a consistent directional layout; treat each placement as an embodied mantra-action rather than mere arrangement.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tantric/Nyasa and Dik-puja orientation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual mandala with a central fire; the priest places darbha-water while touching the heart region (hṛdaya-nyāsa), offers saffron and yellow pigment into flames, then sets incense in the northeast and southwest while touching head and topknot points (śiras/śikhā).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central agni with stylized flames, priest performing nyāsa gestures (hand to heart, head, topknot), incense stands placed in Īśāna and Nairṛta corners, bowls of kuṅkuma and rocanā, clear directional geometry","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf fire flames and incense smoke, ornate corner markers for Īśāna and Nairṛta, priest in devotional posture with nyāsa gestures, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean schematic mandala with labeled directions, central fire-pit, sequential depiction of placements (darbha-water, kuṅkuma/rocanā, dhūpa), emphasis on instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtyard homa scene with precise objects: incense burners in two corners, priest offering saffron into fire, delicate smoke trails, architectural perspective and fine textile details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दर्भोदकञ्चाथ→darbha-udakam ca atha; नैरृतेप्यथ→nairṛte api atha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: aṅga-nyāsa (hṛdaya/śiras/śikhā) and dik-nyāsa instructions in Puja-vidhi; Agni Purana: homa/fire-ritual procedures in preceding chapter (agnikārya)
FAQs
It teaches a nyāsa-style ritual placement: sanctified darbha-water is applied with the hṛdaya-mantra, specific substances (kuṅkuma/rocanā) are offered into the fire, and incense (dhūpa) is placed in designated directions using aṅga-mantras like śiras and śikhā.
Beyond mythology, it functions as a practical ritual handbook—preserving procedural details of worship (materials, directional placements, and mantra-linked body-parts), showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of applied liturgy alongside other sciences.
Directional offerings and nyāsa are meant to purify the worship-space and the practitioner’s body-mind, align the rite with cosmic order (dik), and thereby increase the efficacy (siddhi) and merit (puṇya) of the worship.