Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 33
Chapter 72 — स्नानविशेषादिकथनम्
Special Rules of Bathing, Mantra-Purification, and Sandhyā
सव्यपाणितले वह्नेस्तीर्थं सोमस्य वामतः ऋषीणां तु समग्रेषु अङ्गुलीपर्वसन्धिषु
savyapāṇitale vahnestīrthaṃ somasya vāmataḥ ṛṣīṇāṃ tu samagreṣu aṅgulīparvasandhiṣu
Pada tapak tangan kiri terletak tīrtha Agni; di sebelah kirinya terletak tīrtha Soma. Tīrtha para Ṛṣi, secara keseluruhan, berada pada pertemuan sendi-sendi jari.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Specifies additional kara-tīrthas (Agni, Soma, Ṛṣi) to correctly perform sprinkling, sipping, offerings, and nyāsa with proper hand placement.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kara-tīrthas: Agni–Soma–Ṛṣi Locations on the Hand","lookup_keywords":["agni-tīrtha","soma-tīrtha","ṛṣi-tīrtha","palm tīrtha","finger-joints"],"quick_summary":"Locates Agni-tīrtha on the left palm, Soma-tīrtha to its left side, and Ṛṣi-tīrthas at the junctions of finger joints—supporting accurate ritual handling of water and gestures."}
Concept: Ritual cosmology embodied in the hand—Agni and Soma as operative principles; Ṛṣis as guardians of mantra at joint-junctions.
Application: When performing mārjana/ācamana/arpana, use the specified palm region or finger-joint junctions to ‘route’ the act through the intended tīrtha.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Tīrtha/Mudrā-nyāsa: hand sacred points used in ritual acts)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Instructional close-up of the left palm showing Agni-tīrtha on the palm, Soma-tīrtha adjacent, and highlighted finger-joint junctions indicating Ṛṣi-tīrthas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, left palm prominently shown, Agni and Soma symbolized by flame and moon motifs, finger joints marked with small sage icons, bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, hand diagram with gold accents for Agni flame and Soma crescent, ornate border, jewel-toned background, devotional-instructional blend","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, precise hand placement, clear highlighting of palm region and finger-joint junctions, soft colors, didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined hand study, tiny flame and crescent emblems, subtle emphasis on joints, elegant minimal composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वह्नेस्तीर्थं → वह्नेः तीर्थम्; अङ्गुलीपर्वसन्धिषु → अङ्गुली-पर्व-सन्धिषु (समास).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 72.32 (kara-tīrtha mapping); Agni Purana 72.34 (tīrtha consecration and mārjana)
FAQs
It specifies the kara-tīrtha mapping used in ritual practice: Agni-tīrtha on the left palm, Soma-tīrtha to its left, and Ṛṣi-tīrthas at the finger-joint junctions—guiding correct hand placement for acts like ācamana and tarpaṇa.
By cataloging precise ritual micro-details (hand tīrthas) alongside broader theology, the Agni Purana functions as a practical manual—preserving standardized procedural knowledge used across pūjā, purification, and ancestral offerings.
Correct use of designated tīrthas is treated as ensuring ritual purity and proper ‘addressing’ of divine and sage principles (Agni, Soma, Ṛṣis), thereby making offerings and purificatory acts efficacious and merit-bearing.