Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 35
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
न्यासं शिष्ये ततः कृत्वा तं प्रदक्षिणमानयेत् पश्चिमद्वारमानीय क्षेपयेत् कुसुमाञ्जलिम्
nyāsaṃ śiṣye tataḥ kṛtvā taṃ pradakṣiṇamānayet paścimadvāramānīya kṣepayet kusumāñjalim
Kemudian, setelah melakukan nyāsa mantra pada murid, ia dibimbing mengelilingi ruang suci. Dibawa ke pintu barat, ia diminta mempersembahkan segenggam bunga.
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Diksha/puja-vidhi: perform mantra-nyasa on the disciple, guide pradakshina, and complete a flower-offering at the prescribed doorway to ritually seal orientation and entry into the mandala.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nyasa and Pradakshina for the Disciple (Western Door Flower-Offering)","lookup_keywords":["nyasa","pradakshina","pashchima-dvara","kusumanjali","diksha-vidhi"],"quick_summary":"After nyasa, the disciple is led in circumambulation and made to offer a handful of flowers at the western doorway, marking ritual orientation and acceptance into the sacred circuit."}
Concept: Embodied ritual (nyasa + movement) integrates mantra, space, and disciple into a single consecrated identity.
Application: Use bodily circumambulation and threshold-acts to stabilize attention and mark transitions in initiation/puja.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Diksha, Nyasa, Mandala-Pradakshina and Temple/Ritual Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A guru performs nyasa on a seated disciple, then leads him around a mandala/temple precinct; at the western doorway the disciple offers a handful of flowers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, guru and disciple in a mandala courtyard, pradakshina path encircling a sanctum, western gateway emphasized, disciple casting flower-handful, earthy reds and ochres, stylized architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate doorway with gold leaf, guru guiding disciple, bright flower offering at the western threshold, rich textiles, haloed sacred space, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional ritual scene: nyasa gestures on disciple, then circumambulation around a marked mandala, labeled western door, delicate lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed temple courtyard with circumambulation, guru in saffron, disciple offering flowers at a western gate, fine architectural detailing and floral borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुसुमाञ्जलिम् = कुसुम + अञ्जलिम् (अ + अञ्ज → आञ्ज). पश्चिमद्वारमानीय = पश्चिमद्वारम् + आनीय (म् + आ → मा).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303 (diksha-nyasa, mandala, pradakshina context); Agni Purana puja-vidhi sections on dvara/mandala procedures
FAQs
It teaches an initiation-step sequence: perform mantra-nyāsa on the disciple, guide him in clockwise pradakṣiṇā of the sanctified area, then at the western entrance have him offer (cast) a kusumāñjali (handful of flowers).
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves precise procedural liturgy—micro-instructions for diksha and puja (nyāsa, pradakṣiṇā, directional gateways, flower offerings), functioning like a practical ritual handbook within a Purāṇic compendium.
Nyāsa sacralizes the disciple’s body as fit for mantra; pradakṣiṇā expresses reverence and alignment with dharma (clockwise movement around the sacred); the kusumāñjali is a purity-and-devotion offering that seals the rite with auspicious intent.