Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 323 — The Six-Limbed Aghora Astras (षडङ्गान्यघोरस्त्राणि)
ॐ रुद्राय च ते ॐ वृषभाय नमः अविमुक्ताय असम्भवाय पुरुषाय च पूज्याय ईशानाय पौरुषाय पञ्च चोत्तरे विश्वरूपाय करालाय विकृतरूपाय अविकृतरूपाय विकृतौ चापरे काले अप्सु माया च नैरृते अ सर्वभूतसुखप्रद वायुपत्रे ऽथ नियतौ पुरुषे चोत्तरेन च सर्वसान्निध्यकर ब्रह्मविष्णुरुद्रपर अनर्चित अस्तुतस्तु च साक्षिन तुरु पतङ्ग पिङ्ग ज्ञान शब्द सूक्ष्म शिव सर्वप्रद ॐ नमःशिवाय ॐ नमो नमः शिवाय ॐ नमो नमः ईशाने प्राकृते तत्त्वे पूजयेज्जुहुयाज्जपेत् ग्रहरोगादिमायार्तिशमनी सर्वसिद्धिकृत्
oṃ rudrāya ca te oṃ vṛṣabhāya namaḥ avimuktāya asambhavāya puruṣāya ca pūjyāya īśānāya pauruṣāya pañca cottare viśvarūpāya karālāya vikṛtarūpāya avikṛtarūpāya vikṛtau cāpare kāle apsu māyā ca nairṛte a sarvabhūtasukhaprada vāyupatre 'tha niyatau puruṣe cottarena ca sarvasānnidhyakara brahmaviṣṇurudrapara anarcita astutastu ca sākṣina turu pataṅga piṅga jñāna śabda sūkṣma śiva sarvaprada oṃ namaḥśivāya oṃ namo namaḥ śivāya oṃ namo namaḥ īśāne prākṛte tattve pūjayejjuhuyājjapet graharogādimāyārtiśamanī sarvasiddhikṛt
“Om—sembah sujud kepada Rudra; Om—sembah sujud kepada Tuhan bertanda Lembu (Vṛṣabha). Sembah sujud kepada Avimukta (Yang tidak meninggalkan), Asambhava (Yang tidak berkelahiran), Purusha Yang Maha Tinggi lagi layak dipuja, kepada Īśāna, kepada Tuhan berdaya kepahlawanan. Sembah sujud kepada Yang Berwujud Semesta; kepada Karāla (Yang menggerunkan); kepada Yang berwujud berubah (vikṛta) dan Yang tidak berubah (avikṛta), serta kepada Yang menzahirkan perubahan lagi pada waktu kemudian. Sembah sujud kepada Māyā di dalam air, dan kepada kuasa di arah barat daya (Nairṛta). Sembah sujud kepada Pemberi kebahagiaan bagi semua makhluk; kepada-Nya di ‘daun angin’ (vāyupatra), juga pada Purusha yang ditetapkan, dan pada arah/ wajah utara. Dialah yang menghadirkan kedekatan semua (dewa), yang berhubung dengan Brahmā, Viṣṇu dan Rudra; walau tidak disembah, tetap patut dipuji; Sang Saksi. Dialah Turu, Pataṅga, Piṅga; Pengetahuan, Bunyi, Yang Halus; Śiva, Penganugerah segala-galanya. ‘Om namaḥ śivāya; om namo namaḥ śivāya; om namo namaḥ īśāne.’ Hendaklah dipuja, dipersembahkan oblation, dan dijapa (dibaca berulang) dalam prinsip asal (prākṛta-tattva) Īśāna; ia menenangkan derita akibat planet, penyakit dan māyā, serta menghasilkan segala siddhi.”
Lord Agni (narrating the ritual/mantra section to the sages, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Śaiva mantra-pūjā-homa-japa for graha/roga/māyā afflictions and siddhi attainment, using a long Rudra-Īśāna litany culminating in namaḥ-śivāya formulas.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Īśāna-Rudra protective mantra for graha-roga-māyā-śānti and siddhi","lookup_keywords":["Īśāna","Rudra mantra","namaḥ śivāya","graha-roga-śānti","sarva-siddhi"],"quick_summary":"Provides an extended Śaiva mantra-string and instructs worship, homa, and japa in Īśāna’s prākṛta-tattva; used to pacify planetary and disease afflictions and to secure attainments."}
Alamkara Type: Nāma-mālā (litany of epithets)
Concept: Śiva as witness and all-pervading principle (sound, knowledge, subtlety) accessed through mantra; prākṛta-tattva of Īśāna as ritual locus.
Application: Perform pūjā + homa + japa with this mantra to stabilize mind, counter perceived planetary/disease pressures, and cultivate siddhi-oriented discipline.
Khanda Section: Īśāna-kalpa / Rudra-Śiva Mantra-Pūjā-Vidhi (Tantric-Śaiva ritual section)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A powerful Śaiva ritual: priest in Īśāna-facing orientation performs pūjā, homa, and japa while the many-named Rudra manifests as Viśvarūpa—bull-bannered, terrible yet benevolent—surrounded by directional deities and elemental waters symbolism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural, Īśāna-Rudra as multi-formed Śiva with vṛṣabha emblem, fierce karāla visage softened by blessing hand, mandala of directions, homa fire foreground, deep reds/ochres/greens, bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Śiva/Īśāna with gold foil halo and ornate jewelry, inscriptions of ‘ॐ नमः शिवाय’, homa altar and offerings, directional motifs at corners, rich gold and vermilion","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, precise ritual diagram feel: priest seated with japa-mālā, homa implements, directional markers (Īśāna, Nairṛta, Uttara), subtle depiction of Śiva’s epithets as labels around the deity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate shrine interior with a Śaiva ascetic reciting mantra, small homa fire, visionary translucent Viśvarūpa Śiva appearing above, fine textiles and architectural detail, subdued luminous palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नमःशिवाय = नमः + शिवाय (अव्ययीभाव); पूजयेज्जुहुयाज्जपेत् = पूजयेत् + जुहुयात् + जपेत् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि); वायुपत्रे 'थ = वायु-पत्रे + अथ; ग्रहरोगादिमायार्तिशमनी = ग्रह-रोग-आदि-माया-आर्ति-शमनी. Verse contains many mantra-epithets; some tokens (अ, तस्तु, तुरु) treated as mantra/pāṭha-variants.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 323 (Īśāna-kalpa / Rudra-Śiva mantra-pūjā-vidhi context); Agni Purana mantra and nyāsa/dik-worship materials in adjacent ritual chapters
FAQs
It teaches a Śaiva mantra-prayoga: recitation of Rudra–Īśāna epithets along with ‘oṃ namaḥ śivāya’, to be applied through pūjā (worship), homa (oblations), and japa (repetition) for śānti and siddhi.
Alongside theology (Śiva’s epithets and cosmic aspects), it gives practical liturgy—how to deploy mantra via multiple ritual modes (pūjā/homa/japa) and frames it as a remedy for concrete problems like graha-doṣa and disease, reflecting the text’s manual-like breadth.
The verse presents Śiva-japa and allied rites as purificatory and protective: it mitigates karmically experienced afflictions (planetary/disease/māyic distress) and is said to yield ‘sarva-siddhi’—successful completion of aims under divine witnessing (sākṣin).