Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 21
Worship of Gaurī and Others (Gauryādi-pūjā) — Mantra, Maṇḍala, Mudrā, Homa, and Mṛtyuñjaya Kalaśa-Rite
अष्टलक्षैश् च वाक्सिद्धिर्देवाद्या वशमाप्नुयुः न निवेद्य न चास्नीयाद्वामहस्तेन चार्चयेत्
aṣṭalakṣaiś ca vāksiddhirdevādyā vaśamāpnuyuḥ na nivedya na cāsnīyādvāmahastena cārcayet
आठ लक्ष जपाने वाक्सिद्धी प्राप्त होते व देवादीही वश होतात। निवेदन/नैवेद्य अर्पू नये, भोजनही करू नये; आणि डाव्या हाताने पूजा करू नये।
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Japa-saṅkhyā discipline (8 lakhs) for vāk-siddhi and vaśīkaraṇa; includes niyamas: avoid offering/naivedya and avoid eating during the observance; worship not to be done with the left hand.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṣṭa-lakṣa-japa for vāk-siddhi with niyamas (fasting/abstinence; right-hand worship)","lookup_keywords":["aṣṭa-lakṣa-japa","vāk-siddhi","vaśīkaraṇa","naivedya-tyāga","vāmā-hasta-niṣedha"],"quick_summary":"Eight-lakh repetitions are prescribed for mastery of speech and compelling influence; the sādhaka follows restraints—no eating and no offering/naivedya—and maintains right-hand ritual propriety."}
Concept: Siddhi arises from saṅkhyā (count), niyama (restraint), and śuddhi (proper conduct), not from casual ritualism.
Application: Design a japa regimen with a fixed daily quota to reach 800,000; maintain consistent purity rules and right-hand ritual etiquette throughout the vrata.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-sadhana and ritual discipline)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sādhaka with a japa-mālā counts repetitions beside a small altar, maintaining fasting; offerings are withheld; the right hand performs ācamana/archana gestures while the left remains inactive; a tally board marks progress toward eight lakhs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ascetic figure seated in meditation with mālā, minimal altar, visual tally marks, subdued lamp glow, emphasis on restraint and purity, right-hand gesture highlighted","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold detailing on mālā and altar vessels, serene sādhaka with right-hand in worship mudrā, symbolic ‘8,00,000’ count shown as stylized beads/marks, devotional austerity mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional layout: mālā counting, daily quota chart, right-hand archana, crossed-out icons for food and naivedya, clean lines and legible ritual tools","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-ascetic in a quiet chamber with rosary and ledger-like count sheet, attendants absent to stress solitude, delicate rendering of hands showing right-hand action"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अष्टलक्षैश् → अष्टलक्षैः; वाक्सिद्धिर्देवाद्या → वाक्सिद्धिः देवाद्याः; वशमाप्नुयुः → वशम् आप्नुयुः; चास्नीयाद्वामहस्तेन → च अस्नीयात् वामहस्तेन; चार्चयेत् → च अर्चयेत्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 325 (japa counts and siddhi-fruits; ritual do’s/don’ts); Agni Purana mantra-sādhana sections on niyama and purity
FAQs
It specifies a japa-count benchmark (eight lakhs) for attaining vāk-siddhi and prescribes strict ācāra: avoid offering/naivedya and eating during the observance, and do not worship using the left hand.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical sādhanā-technology: numeric japa targets, expected results (siddhi), and concrete ritual do’s and don’ts—typical of its wide-ranging, manual-like coverage of worship procedures.
The verse frames siddhi as dependent on disciplined purity and restraint (niyama); correct ritual etiquette (e.g., right-hand worship) and controlled consumption are treated as conditions that protect the rite’s sanctity and efficacy.