Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 41

Adhyāya 88 — निर्वाणदीक्षाकथनं

Teaching of the Nirvāṇa-Initiation

Devanagari script

ततः परं मकारन्तु हृदयाच्चतुरङ्गुलं ओङ्कारं वाचकं विष्णोस्ततो ऽष्टाङ्गुलकण्ठकं

Transliteration

tataḥ paraṃ makārantu hṛdayāccaturaṅgulaṃ oṅkāraṃ vācakaṃ viṣṇostato 'ṣṭāṅgulakaṇṭhakaṃ

Translation

Seterusnya, letakkan suku kata “ma” pada jarak empat aṅgula (lebar jari) di atas jantung; kemudian, sebagai penanda Viṣṇu, letakkan suku kata “oṁ” pada kerongkong, pada ukuran lapan aṅgula (di atas jantung).

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): ‘then/from there’

• param: further; next
• param: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya usage (अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणार्थ): ‘further/next’

• makāram: the syllable ‘ma’
• makāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात): contrast/emphasis

• hṛdayāt: from the heart
• hṛdayāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• caturaṅgulam: four finger-breadths
• caturaṅgulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-aṅgula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगु-समास: ‘four-finger(-measure)’

• oṅkāram: the syllable ‘oṃ’
• oṅkāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vācakam: denoting; expressive of
• vācakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective to oṅkāram: ‘denoting’

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb: ‘then/thereafter’

• aṣṭāṅgula-kaṇṭhakam: the throat-region of eight finger-breadths
• aṣṭāṅgula-kaṇṭhakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgula (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘throat-region (measure) of eight finger-breadths’

Speaker

Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: hṛdayāccaturaṅgulaṃ = hṛdayāt caturaṅgulam; viṣṇostato = viṣṇoḥ tataḥ; tato 'ṣṭāṅgula- = tataḥ aṣṭāṅgula-.

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Omkara (Pranava)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches deha-nyāsa (body-installation) using measured aṅgula distances: placing “ma” four aṅgulas above the heart and installing “oṁ” (praṇava) at the throat as Viṣṇu’s vācaka (verbal signifier) during mantra practice.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Beyond mythology, it preserves precise, practitioner-oriented ritual technology—standardized measurements, bodily loci, and mantra-semantics (oṁ as vācaka of Viṣṇu)—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s coverage of applied mantra-śāstra and pūjā-vidhi.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Correct nyāsa is held to ‘activate’ mantra-japa by aligning speech (oṁ at the throat) and inner devotion (near the heart), supporting purification, steadiness of mind, and Viṣṇu-bhakti through disciplined ritual embodiment.