Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 77
Ṛग्विधानम् (Ṛgvidhāna) — Applications of Ṛgvedic Mantras through Japa and Homa
आपोहिष्टेति वारिस्थो जपेत्पापभयार्दने प्रदेवन्नेति नियतो जपेच्च मरुधन्वसु
āpohiṣṭeti vāristho japetpāpabhayārdane pradevanneti niyato japecca marudhanvasu
જળમાં ઊભા રહી ‘આપો હિ ષ્ઠા…’થી શરૂ થતા મંત્રનો જપ પાપ અને ભયના નાશ માટે કરવો. નિયમિત અને સંયમી રહી ‘પ્રદેવન્ન…’થી શરૂ થતા મંત્રનો પણ જપ કરવો, તેમજ મરુધન્વ પ્રદેશમાં પણ (એ રીતે) જપ કરવો.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Water-based japa (standing in water) of ‘Āpohiṣṭhā…’ for pāpa-bhaya removal; additional disciplined japa of ‘Pradevann…’; indicates place-sensitive prayoga (Marudhanvan).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āpohiṣṭhā Water-Japa for Pāpa-bhaya-ardana; Pradevann Japa and Marudhanvan Prayoga","lookup_keywords":["Āpohiṣṭhā","water japa","pāpa","bhaya","Marudhanvan"],"quick_summary":"Perform japa while standing in water with the Āpohiṣṭhā mantra to remove sin and fear; maintain niyama and add the Pradevann mantra, with a note on Marudhanvan as a relevant locale for the rite."}
Concept: Āpas (water) as śuddhi-medium: external immersion supports internal cleansing when paired with mantra and niyama.
Application: Use water-japa as a prāyaścitta adjunct—bathe/stand in clean water, control breath and speech, and recite with focused mind rather than mechanical repetition.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-japa and Prayashchitta)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Sacred region/forest (vana)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner standing waist-deep in a river or tank, hands in añjali, reciting Āpohiṣṭhā; a manuscript or teacher nearby indicating further mantras and the Marudhanvan association.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, riverbank with stylized waves, devotee waist-deep in water chanting, temple silhouette and palms in background, calm yet protective mood, traditional pigment palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sacred water body with lotus motifs, devotee in añjali, gold-leaf accents on water ripples and halo-like aura, auspicious vessels on the bank.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic scene: posture of standing in water, breath-control cues, mantra text panel ‘Āpohiṣṭhā’, clean composition and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic river scene with gentle current, devotee reciting, attendants on bank with cloth and manuscript, detailed flora and architectural pavilion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: āpohiṣṭeti → āpo-hiṣṭā iti; japetpāpabhayārdane → japet pāpa-bhaya-ardane; pradevanneti → pra-devat iti; japecca → japet ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 258 (śuddhi-mantras; water-related purification practices)
FAQs
It prescribes a practical prayāścitta: performing japa of specific Vedic-starting mantras (notably “Āpo hi ṣṭhā…”) while standing in water, as a method to counter sin and fear.
It records operational ritual directions—mantra-selection, posture/location (standing in water), and disciplined observance—showing the text’s role as a compendium of applied religious technique, not only mythology.
Water-mantra japa is framed as a purifier that mitigates pāpa (karmic demerit) and alleviates bhaya (fear), restoring ritual and inner purity through regulated recitation.