Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 164: नवग्रहहोमः
Navagraha Fire-Offering
ताम्रकात् स्फटिकाद्रक्तचन्दनात् स्वर्णर्कादुभौ रजतादयसः शीशात् ग्रहाः कार्याः क्रमादिमे
tāmrakāt sphaṭikādraktacandanāt svarṇarkādubhau rajatādayasaḥ śīśāt grahāḥ kāryāḥ kramādime
આ ગ્રહ-પ્રતિમાઓ ક્રમશઃ આ દ્રવ્યોમાંથી બનાવવી—તાંબામાંથી, સ્ફટિકમાંથી, રક્તચંદનમાંથી, સોનામાંથી, અર્ક-કાષ્ઠમાંથી (તે જોડીનાં બંને), ચાંદીમાંથી, લોખંડમાંથી અને સીસામાંથી।
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Selection of correct materials for crafting navagraha-pratimās used in graha-śānti, pūjā, dāna, and installation in mandalas/altars.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Navagraha-pratimā-dravya-vidhi (materials for planetary icons)","lookup_keywords":["graha-pratimā","tāmra sphaṭika","rakta-candana","suvarṇa rajata","ayas sīsa"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes the canonical substances for making planetary images in sequence—metal, crystal, woods—supporting standardized ritual manufacture for graha propitiation."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on dravya-śuddhi and prescribed correspondences between deity-function and material.
Application: Guide artisans/priests in procuring correct metals/woods for navagraha sets used in śānti and dāna.
Khanda Section: Jyotisha (Graha-pratima-nirmana / planetary icons in ritual-astrology)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An artisan’s workshop displaying nine small planetary icons with labeled materials: copper, crystal, red sandalwood, gold, arka-wood pair, silver, iron, lead; arranged in ritual order on a cloth beside tools and a small altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style depiction of a craftsman presenting navagraha icons on a wooden plank, each icon colored to suggest its material (copper sheen, crystal white, red sandalwood), minimal depth, bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of nine pratimās on a ceremonial tray, gold leaf emphasizing suvarṇa icon, embossed textures for metals, ornate floral border, temple lamp glow","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional tableau: nine icons in a row with Sanskrit labels of materials (tāmra, sphaṭika, rakta-candana, suvarṇa, arka, rajata, ayas, sīsa), soft pastel background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature workshop scene with artisan and priest consulting a list, finely rendered metallic reflections on icons, shelves of raw materials (ingots, wood pieces), detailed textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sphaṭikādraktacandanāt → sphaṭikāt + rakta-candanāt; svarṇarkādubhau → svarṇa-arkāt + ubhau; rajatādayasaḥ śīśāt → rajatāt + ayasaḥ + śīśāt (series of ablatives).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Jyotiṣa-khaṇḍa: graha-śānti, dāna, and pratimā-nirmāṇa passages near 164.3–164.5
FAQs
It prescribes the correct materials (metals/woods/crystal) and an ordered sequence for crafting graha-pratimās (planetary icons) used in Jyotiṣa-based rites such as graha-śānti and remedial worship.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana catalogues practical, technical know-how—here, ritual-astrological iconography—linking planetary worship to specified substances (metals, crystal, sacred woods) as a procedural manual for practitioners.
Using prescribed substances for graha icons is treated as a correctness condition (vidhi) that supports effective graha-śānti: it aims at pacifying adverse planetary influences and promoting purification, auspiciousness, and steadiness of merit (puṇya).