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
Demikian pula hendaknya dilakukan pembacaan pujian (stuti) dan japa Puruṣa-sūkta serta mantra-mantra sejenis. Adapun mimpi yang muncul pada jaga pertama malam berbuah setelah kira-kira satu tahun.
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.