Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 3
अध्याय ७३: सूर्यपूजाविधिः
Sūrya-pūjā-vidhi — The Procedure for Sun-Worship
सम्प्रोक्ष्य तज्जलैर् द्रव्यं पूर्वास्यो भानुमर्चयेत् ॐ अं हृद्वीजादि सर्वत्र पूजनं दण्डिपिङ्गलौ
samprokṣya tajjalair dravyaṃ pūrvāsyo bhānumarcayet oṃ aṃ hṛdvījādi sarvatra pūjanaṃ daṇḍipiṅgalau
Setelah memercikkan bahan-bahan upacara dengan air itu, menghadap ke timur hendaklah ia memuja Matahari. Pemujaan di segala tempat hendaklah bermula dengan benih-hati (hṛd-bīja): “Oṃ aṃ”; dan (hendaklah memuja) Daṇḍin serta Piṅgala sebagai dewa pengiring.
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","practical_application":"Mantra-seeded Sūrya worship: prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) of materials with consecrated water, east-facing arcana, bīja beginning with ‘Oṃ aṃ’ at the heart, plus attendant-deity worship (Daṇḍin, Piṅgala).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prokṣaṇa, East-facing Sūrya-arcana, Heart-bīja ‘Oṃ aṃ’, Daṇḍin–Piṅgala Upacāra","lookup_keywords":["prokṣaṇa","oṃ aṃ","hṛd-bīja","daṇḍin","piṅgala"],"quick_summary":"Consecrate offerings by sprinkling, worship Sūrya facing east, apply the heart-seed mantra ‘Oṃ aṃ’ throughout, and honor Daṇḍin and Piṅgala as solar attendants."}
Concept: Mantra as ‘seed’ (bīja) energizing the rite; hṛdaya as the primary locus for deity-installation and worship diffusion (‘sarvatra’).
Application: In practice, begin with heart-centered bīja-japa, then extend the same mantra to offerings, limbs, and the worship-space; include parivāra-devatās to complete the maṇḍala.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Surya-archana and mantra-nyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Ritual-direction
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee sprinkles ritual items with sanctified water, faces east toward a radiant sun emblem, touches the heart for the bīja ‘Oṃ aṃ’, and offers worship to two attendants, Daṇḍin and Piṅgala, flanking the solar symbol.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: east-facing devotee with water-sprinkling gesture; central Sūrya-maṇḍala; two attendant figures labeled Daṇḍin and Piṅgala; rhythmic, symmetrical composition; warm reds and yellows.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: Sūrya with heavy gold halo; attendants on either side; devotee performing prokṣaṇa with a small spoon; gold accents on vessels and rays; saturated palette.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: stepwise instructional scene—sprinkling, heart-touch (hṛd-nyāsa), then offering to attendants; fine detailing of implements; clear east-direction indicator.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: terrace at dawn; devotee sprinkling offerings; stylized sun disc; two attendants in courtly attire; delicate borders and naturalistic objects."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तज्जलैर् = तत् + जलैः (तद्-समास/सन्धि). भानुमर्चयेत् = भानुम् + अर्चयेत् (म् + अ). हृद्वीजादि = हृद् + बीज + आदि (द् + ब → द्व).
Related Themes: Agni Purana nyāsa and bīja-mantra discussions (where present); Agni Purana Sūrya-pūjā sequence (73.1–73.4)
FAQs
It teaches the Surya-puja sequence: purify offerings by sprinkling, face east for worship, apply/recite the bīja beginning with the heart (hṛd-bīja) using “oṃ aṃ”, and include attendant deities Daṇḍin and Piṅgala in the worship.
It preserves precise procedural ritual technology—samprokṣaṇa (aspersion purification), directional orientation, bīja-mantra usage, and subsidiary deity worship—showing the Agni Purana’s role as a practical manual alongside its mythic and doctrinal content.
Purifying the offerings and performing mantra-based worship with proper orientation is presented as a means to make the rite ritually valid and spiritually efficacious, supporting inner purification and the accrual of religious merit through correctly executed Surya-archana.