Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 9
जीर्णोद्धारः (Jīrṇoddhāra) — Renovation and Ritual Handling of Defective Liṅgas and Old Shrines
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा तु शम्भुं विज्ञापयेत्ततः दुष्टलिङ्गमिदं शंभोः शान्तिरुद्धारणस्य चेत्
brāhmaṇān bhojayitvā tu śambhuṃ vijñāpayettataḥ duṣṭaliṅgamidaṃ śaṃbhoḥ śāntiruddhāraṇasya cet
បន្ទាប់ពីបំបៅព្រះព្រាហ្មណ៍រួច គួរជូនដំណឹង/អង្វរ ព្រះសម្ភូ (សិវៈ) ថា៖ «ឱ សម្ភូ, លិង្គនេះមានកំហុស; ប្រសិនបើត្រូវធ្វើសន្តិ (śānti) គួរធ្វើដោយការដកចេញ និងដំឡើងឡើងវិញ (uddhāraṇa)»។
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s ritual procedure to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Protocol for addressing a defective liṅga: first feed brāhmaṇas (community/ritual obligation), then formally petition Śiva and declare the defect, proposing śānti through removal and re-installation (uddhāraṇa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dūṣṭa-liṅga Śānti: Petition to Śambhu and Uddhāraṇa (Removal/Re-installation)","lookup_keywords":["dūṣṭa-liṅga","śānti","uddhāraṇa","brāhmaṇa-bhojana","śambhu-vijñapti"],"quick_summary":"When liṅga signs are defective, the rite begins with feeding brāhmaṇas and a formal supplication to Śiva, requesting pacification through removal and proper re-installation."}
Concept: Sacred responsibility: defects in worship-objects are not ignored; they are acknowledged, confessed, and corrected through sanctioned rites and community-facing acts (feeding brāhmaṇas).
Application: When a consecrated object is compromised, follow due process—public/ritual restitution, truthful declaration, and corrective re-consecration.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Shaiva Lingodharana–Shanti rites / remediation of defective linga signs)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A Śaiva temple interior where priests inspect a liṅga showing a visible defect; outside, brāhmaṇas are fed; then the officiant stands with folded hands petitioning Śiva, indicating the need for uddhāraṇa and re-installation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, solemn Śiva-liṅga in garbhagṛha, priest with añjali mudrā addressing Śambhu, side scene of brāhmaṇas seated for bhojana, muted reds and ochres, ritual gravity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central liṅga with ornate silver/gold abhiṣeka vessels, priest petitioning, brāhmaṇa-feeding depicted in a lower panel, gold-work emphasizing sanctity and corrective rite","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear narrative sequence: inspection of defective liṅga, brāhmaṇa-bhojana, formal vijñapti to Śiva, fine detailing of temple interior and ritual implements","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed temple hall with priests and patrons, brāhmaṇas dining in courtyard, the officiant presenting a written/gestured petition to Śiva, delicate architectural rendering"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vijñāpayettataḥ → vijñāpayet + tataḥ. śāntiruddhāraṇasya → śāntiḥ + uddhāraṇasya (visarga sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 103 (liṅgoddhāra/śānti context continuing into 103.10 śānti-homa)
FAQs
It prescribes a remediation protocol: first perform brāhmaṇa-bhojana, then submit a formal petition to Śiva declaring the liṅga defective and proceed with śānti through uddhāraṇa (ritual removal/extraction, typically followed by proper re-installation).
Beyond mythology, it records practical temple-management and consecration jurisprudence—how to diagnose an inauspicious icon (liṅga-doṣa) and apply standardized corrective rites (śānti, uddhāraṇa), reflecting the Purana’s coverage of ritual science and institutional worship.
Feeding brāhmaṇas and petitioning Śiva frames the correction as a dharmic act: it seeks to neutralize inauspiciousness, restore ritual purity, and prevent negative karmic outcomes associated with maintaining a defective sacred emblem.