Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 3
Devapūjā, Vaiśvadeva Offering, and Bali (देवपूजावैश्वदेवबलिः)
रथे अक्षे च तिसृभिर्गन्धं युवेति वस्त्रकं पुष्पं पुष्पवतीत्येवं धूपन्धूपोसि चाप्यथ
rathe akṣe ca tisṛbhirgandhaṃ yuveti vastrakaṃ puṣpaṃ puṣpavatītyevaṃ dhūpandhūposi cāpyatha
ដោយបីមន្ត្រ/បីវគ្គ គួរធ្វើពិធីបញ្ចូលក្លិនក្រអូបដល់រថ និងអ័ក្សរថ។ ដោយពាក្យ «yuve» គួរបរិសុទ្ធវស្ត្រ; ដោយ «puṣpam» បរិសុទ្ធផ្កា; ដោយ «puṣpavatī» ក៏ដូចគ្នា; បន្ទាប់មក បរិសុទ្ធធូបដោយ «dhūpa» ហើយដោយ «dhūposi» ផងដែរ។
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Mantra-nyāsa/saṃskāra of upacāra-dravyas (cloth, flowers, incense) and implements by specific Vedic formulas so offerings become fit for devatā-arpana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Upacāra-dravya Saṃskāra (Gandha–Vastra–Puṣpa–Dhūpa)","lookup_keywords":["nyāsa","yuve","puṣpam","puṣpavatī","dhūposi"],"quick_summary":"Consecrate fragrance/implements with three utterances; consecrate cloth with ‘yuve’; flowers with ‘puṣpam’ and ‘puṣpavatī’; incense with ‘dhūpa’ and ‘dhūposi’."}
Concept: Dravya becomes ‘yajñiya’ by mantra-saṃskāra; external offering mirrors inner purification and intentionality.
Application: Before offering, touch/hold each item and recite its assigned formula to establish sankalpa and ritual fitness.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-nyasa, ritual naming of materials and implements)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist consecrates offerings: touches cloth, flowers, incense, and fragrance containers while reciting short formulas; implements like a small chariot/axle are symbolically anointed with scent.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest consecrating puṣpa and dhūpa before a shrine, stylized smoke curls, lotus borders, warm earthy palette, clear depiction of ritual touch (sparśa) and mantra recitation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, deity seated with gold halo; foreground shows neatly arranged vastra, puṣpa plates, dhūpa holder; priest performing abhimantraṇa, gold detailing on vessels and ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: offerings arranged in rows (vastra, puṣpa, dhūpa, gandha), priest pointing/touching each item as if teaching, fine linework and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life of ritual items—incense burner, flower tray, folded cloth—priest reciting, delicate smoke and textile patterns, architectural niche background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तिसृभिर्गन्धम् → तिसृभिः + गन्धम्; पुष्पवतीत्येवम् → पुष्पवती + इति + एवम्; धूपन्धूपोसि → धूपम् + धूपः + असि; चाप्यथ → च + अपि + अथ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Puja-vidhi: upacāra-krama and dravya-śuddhi passages in the same ritual sequence
FAQs
It teaches mantra-based consecration (saṁskāra) of worship materials—fragrance, cloth, flowers, and incense—extending the rite even to a chariot and its axle, by assigning specific mantra-words to each item.
By cataloging practical micro-procedures—exact items plus their corresponding mantra formulas—it preserves a technical ritual manual style alongside the Purana’s broader theology, making it a compendium of applied worship methods.
Consecrating offerings and implements through mantra is presented as a purifier and sanctifier: it transforms ordinary materials into fit instruments of worship, thereby increasing ritual efficacy and accruing merit (puṇya) through correct performance.