Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 24
Nīrājana-vidhiḥ
Procedure of Nīrājana / Auspicious Lamp-Waving and Royal Propitiation
विशाखायां गते सूर्ये आश्रमे निवसेन्नृपः अलङ्कुर्याद्दिने तस्मिन् वाहनन्तु विशेषतः
viśākhāyāṃ gate sūrye āśrame nivasennṛpaḥ alaṅkuryāddine tasmin vāhanantu viśeṣataḥ
ಸೂರ್ಯನು ವಿಶಾಖೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿದಾಗ ರಾಜನು ಆಶ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸಬೇಕು. ಆ ದಿನ ವಿಶೇಷವಾಗಿ ತನ್ನ ವಾಹನವನ್ನು ಅಲಂಕರಿಸಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s didactic dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Electional timing for royal conduct: when Sun transits into Viśākhā, the king adopts hermitage-residence (austerity/retreat) and performs special adornment of his mount—an auspicious regimen for state transitions or campaigns.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sūrya in Viśākhā: nṛpa-āśrama-vāsa and vāhana-alaṅkāra","lookup_keywords":["Viśākhā","sūrya-gati","muhūrta","āśrama-vāsa","vāhana-alaṅkāra"],"quick_summary":"At the Sun’s entry into Viśākhā, the king should stay in an āśrama and on that day especially adorn his vehicle/mount, aligning royal action with auspicious solar timing."}
Concept: Rājadharma includes kāla-anusaraṇa—aligning conduct with cosmic time (solar transit) and adopting restraint (āśrama-vāsa) to stabilize sovereignty.
Application: Use jyotiṣa-based timing to schedule retreats, vows, and ceremonial preparations of royal conveyances.
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa & Rājadharma (Auspicious timing and royal conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king in simple ascetic-leaning attire resides in a forest hermitage while attendants decorate his mount/vehicle with garlands, cloth, and ornaments under a sky marked by auspicious solar transit symbolism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, forest āśrama with sages’ huts, king seated calmly, attendants adorning a horse/elephant or chariot, subtle celestial motif for Sun in Viśākhā, serene greens and ochres","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on the adorned mount and royal ornaments, hermitage backdrop with sacred trees, sun-disc motif above, devotional-auspicious tone","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic scene: king at āśrama, attendants decorating vāhana, small inset showing nakṣatra Viśākhā symbol and sun, fine lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined forest retreat with royal camp near hermitage, artisans adorning mount, astronomer pointing to sky chart, detailed flora and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निवसेन्नृपः = निवसेत् + नृपः; अलङ्कुर्याद्दिने = अलङ्कुर्यात् + दिने.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: jyotiṣa/muhūrta passages; rājadharma chapters on royal regimen and auspicious departures
FAQs
It gives a jyotiṣa-based muhūrta rule: when the Sun enters Viśākhā, the king should undertake a regulated retreat to an āśrama and perform a specific auspicious act—decorating the royal mount/vehicle.
It blends practical governance (rājadharma) with astrological timing (jyotiṣa/muhūrta), showing how the text encodes administrative life—travel, display, and royal regimen—within a ritual-astrological framework.
Residence in an āśrama signals restraint and purification, while adorning the vāhana on an auspicious solar timing is treated as a merit-bearing act that aligns royal action with cosmic order (ṛta), supporting prosperity and protection.