Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 20
Śrāddha-kalpa-kathana
Exposition of the Śrāddha Procedure
इत्युक्त्वा तु प्रिया वाचः प्रणिपत्य विसर्जयेत् वाजे वाज इति प्रीतपितृपूर्वं विसर्जनं
ityuktvā tu priyā vācaḥ praṇipatya visarjayet vāje vāja iti prītapitṛpūrvaṃ visarjanaṃ
ಈ ಪ್ರಿಯ ವಚನಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳಿ ನಮಸ್ಕರಿಸಿ, ನಂತರ ವಿಧಿಪೂರ್ವಕವಾಗಿ ವಿಸರ್ಜಿಸಬೇಕು. ‘ವಾಜೇ ವಾಜ’ ಮಂತ್ರದಿಂದ ಮೊದಲು ತೃಪ್ತರಾದ ಪಿತೃಗಳ ವಿಸರ್ಜನೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (instructional narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Procedural dismissal (visarjana) in śrāddha: speak courteous words, bow, then release invoked beings—beginning with Pitṛs—using the specified mantra.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śrāddha-visarjana (Dismissal of Pitṛs with “vāje vāja”)","lookup_keywords":["śrāddha","visarjana","pitṛ","vāje vāja","mantra"],"quick_summary":"After the rite, one formally concludes by respectful speech and prostration, then dismisses the satisfied ancestors first, employing the “vāje vāja” mantra as the ritual cue for release."}
Concept: Ritual completeness requires proper conclusion (saṃpatti) through respectful dismissal; invoked presences are not left ritually ‘open’.
Application: In any pūjā/śrāddha, include a clear end-step: namaskāra + visarjana mantra, maintaining mental composure and gratitude.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Pitṛ-kriyā / Śrāddha-vidhi — dismissal of invoked beings)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha setting: the performer bows with folded hands after speaking gentle words; a small altar with arghya vessel and offerings; subtle depiction of Pitṛs being respectfully dismissed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ritual courtyard, performer in añjali and pranipāta posture, arghya vessel and darbha grass, stylized ancestral presence fading into the background, calm ochres and reds.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, ornate domestic shrine, performer prostrating, gold accents on vessels and ritual tray, symbolic Pitṛ figures above as faint halos, emphasis on auspicious closure.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional composition: step of visarjana labeled, performer bowing, mantra ‘vāje vāja’ indicated on a palm-leaf strip, neat ritual implements rendered precisely.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor rite, detailed carpets and brass vessels, performer bowing, attendants/brāhmaṇas seated, ethereal ancestors suggested in pale wash, refined linework."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ritual-closure","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इत्युक्त्वा = इति + उक्त्वा; प्रिया वाचः = प्रियाः + वाचः (acc. pl.); वाज इति = वाज + इति; प्रीतपितृपूर्वं = प्रीत-पितृ-पूर्वम् (समास).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Śrāddha-kalpa steps—āvāhana, arghya, piṇḍa, bhojana, dakṣiṇā, visarjana
FAQs
It teaches the proper close of the rite: after respectful speech and prostration, perform formal visarjana, dismissing the invoked beings—beginning with the Pitṛs—using the mantra formula “vāje vāja”.
Beyond theology, it preserves step-by-step liturgical protocol (procedural mantra-use, sequencing, and closure), showing the Agni Purana functioning as a practical ritual handbook alongside its many other disciplines.
Proper dismissal honors the Pitṛs and completes the rite without ritual residue, supporting ancestral satisfaction (pitṛ-prīti) and the intended merit (puṇya) of the śrāddha/offerings.