Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 12
Chapter 323 — The Six-Limbed Aghora Astras (षडङ्गान्यघोरस्त्राणि)
आप्यायने वषट्कारं पुष्टौ वौषन्नियोजयेत् चकारद्वितयस्थाने जातियोगन्तु कारयेत्
āpyāyane vaṣaṭkāraṃ puṣṭau vauṣanniyojayet cakāradvitayasthāne jātiyogantu kārayet
ആപ്യായന (പോഷണം/തൃപ്തി) കർമത്തിൽ ‘വഷട്’ പ്രയോഗിക്കണം; പുഷ്ടി (വർദ്ധന-സമൃദ്ധി) കർമത്തിൽ ‘വൗഷട്’ നിയോഗിക്കണം. ‘ച’യുടെ ദ്വിത്വം വരുന്ന സ്ഥാനത്ത് യോജ്യമായ ജാതി-വർണ്ണാക്ഷരത്തോടെ സന്ധി (ജാതിയോഗം) ചെയ്യണം.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s technical sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vyakarana","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Correct deployment of ritual exclamations (vaṣaṭ/vauṣaṭ) by rite-intent, and phonetic sandhi guidance (jāti-yoga) to avoid faulty mantra recitation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ritual interjections and phonetic junction: vaṣaṭ, vauṣaṭ, and jāti-yoga","lookup_keywords":["vaṣaṭ","vauṣaṭ","āpyāyana","puṣṭi","jāti-yoga"],"quick_summary":"Maps specific homa-exclamations to ritual goals (nourishment vs prosperity) and prescribes a phonetic substitution rule to maintain correct euphony in mantra text."}
Concept: Śabda (correct sound) is instrumental power in ritual; intent (saṅkalpa) governs mantra-appendages like vaṣaṭ/vauṣaṭ.
Application: Choose the correct exclamation by ritual purpose and maintain phonetic integrity to avoid mantra-doṣa and to align sound with intended fruit.
Khanda Section: Chandas & Vyakarana (Prosody/Phonetics and Ritual Utterances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-priest instructs students: writing vaṣaṭ for āpyāyana and vauṣaṭ for puṣṭi on palm-leaf, demonstrating sandhi where double 'ca' is replaced by a class-letter junction (jāti-yoga).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru teaching mantra-phonetics beside a homa altar, palm-leaf manuscripts, students seated, restrained palette, iconic frontal figures","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated guru with manuscript and stylus, small homa fire, gold highlights on sacred syllables ‘vaṣaṭ’ and ‘vauṣaṭ’ inscribed prominently","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, technical instructional scene: close-up of palm-leaf text showing sandhi/jāti-yoga, guru pointing with stylus, neat arrangement of ritual tools","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly lesson in a library-like setting, manuscripts open with Devanagari syllables, teacher explaining phonetic junctions, fine detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Saraswati","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वषट्कारं = वषट्-कारम्; वौषन्नियोजयेत् = वौषन् + नियोजयेत्; चकारद्वितयस्थाने = च-कार-द्वितय-स्थाने; जातियोगन्तु = जाति-योगम् + तु.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 323 (homa/mantra rules in Śānti-kalpa)
FAQs
It prescribes which sacrificial exclamation to use—“vaṣaṭ” for āpyāyana (nourishing rites) and “vauṣaṭ” for puṣṭi (prosperity-strengthening rites)—and gives a phonetic rule (jāti-yoga) to avoid or replace an awkward double ‘ca’ by class-based letter-junction.
It shows the text functioning like a technical manual: alongside theology, it preserves precise operational details of mantra-recitation and phonetic/grammatical handling (sandhi-type rules) used in ritual performance.
Correct ritual utterance and correct phonetic joining are treated as essential to mantra efficacy; using the proper vaṣaṭ/vauṣaṭ and proper sound-connection is intended to secure the intended result (nourishment or prosperity) without mantra-fault (doṣa).