Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 16
Chapter 228 — स्वप्नाध्यायः
Svapnādhāyaḥ / Chapter on Dreams
तथा स्तुतिप्रपठनं पुंसूक्तादिजपस् तथा स्वप्नास्तु प्रथमे यामे संवत्सरविपाकिनः
tathā stutiprapaṭhanaṃ puṃsūktādijapas tathā svapnāstu prathame yāme saṃvatsaravipākinaḥ
इसी प्रकार स्तुतियों का पाठ, तथा पुरुषसूक्त आदि का जप भी करना चाहिए। जो स्वप्न रात्रि के प्रथम याम में आते हैं, वे लगभग एक वर्ष में फलित होते हैं।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s common dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Combining stuti-pāṭha and Vedic japa (Puruṣa-sūkta) as daily/occasional practice, and timing dream fruition by night-watches for practical omen interpretation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Stuti-japa (Puruṣa-sūkta) and svapna-vipāka by yāma","lookup_keywords":["stuti-prapāṭhana","puruṣa-sūkta","japa","prathama-yāma","svapna-vipāka"],"quick_summary":"Recommends hymn-recitation and Puruṣa-sūkta japa; states that dreams seen in the first watch of night mature in about a year—useful for timing expectations from omens."}
Concept: Śabda-sādhana (stuti and mantra-japa) purifies mind; nimitta (dream) is time-conditioned in its fruition.
Application: Maintain regular japa (e.g., Puruṣa-sūkta) and record dream timing by yāma to avoid premature conclusions about outcomes.
Khanda Section: Svapna-Phala (Dream Omens) and Stuti-Japa (Hymn Recitation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner seated with a japa-mālā recites hymns and the Puruṣa-sūkta; beside him a night-sky is divided into watches, indicating that first-watch dreams ripen after a year.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, seated chanter with palm-leaf manuscript, subtle cosmic backdrop with segmented night watches, austere devotional palette and iconic posture","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, saintly figure with gold-leaf aura chanting, manuscript labeled Puruṣa-sūkta implied, decorative clock-like night division motif in the background, rich ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional composition: chanter with mālā, small inset showing ‘prathama yāma’ night segment and a calendar wheel indicating one-year fruition, fine lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-devotee in a quiet chamber reciting from a manuscript, night visible through a window with segmented watches, a subtle annual cycle motif (seasons) indicating delayed fruition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुंसूक्तादिजपः = पुंसूक्त + आदि + जपः; स्वप्नास्तु = स्वप्नाः + तु; संवत्सरविपाकिनः = संवत्सर + विपाकिनः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana mantra/stotra and svapna-phala materials in and around adhyāya 228
FAQs
It specifies practical observances—stuti-recitation and Puruṣa-sūkta (and related) japa—and gives a technical rule in svapna-śāstra: dreams seen in the first night-watch mature in result after roughly one year.
It combines two domains in a compact rule: mantra/recitation practice (ritual discipline) and oneiromancy (dream-result timing), showing how the Agni Purāṇa catalogs both liturgical methods and predictive/omen traditions.
It frames dream-experiences as karmically timed (vipāka) events and recommends hymn-recitation and Vedic japa as stabilizing, purificatory practices aligned with dharma and auspicious outcomes.