Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 14
Chapter 92 — प्रतिष्ठाविधिकथनम्
Narration of the Consecration / Installation Procedure
रग्रामेत्यर्धश्लोको घ पुस्तके नास्ति मन्त्रदीप्त्यवसानकमिति ग मन्त्रभूम्यवसानकमिति घ निर्वर्त्य घोरास्त्रं महास्त्रमिति ग रेखां प्रकुर्वीतेति ख ,ग च स्वर्णकुण्डे इति ग स्वर्णकुम्भे इति घ , ङ , च बाह्ये रक्षोगणानिष्ट्वा विधिना दिग्बलं क्षिपेत् भूमिं संसिच्य संस्नाप्य कुद्दालाद्यं प्रपूजयेत्
ragrāmetyardhaśloko gha pustake nāsti mantradīptyavasānakamiti ga mantrabhūmyavasānakamiti gha nirvartya ghorāstraṃ mahāstramiti ga rekhāṃ prakurvīteti kha ,ga ca svarṇakuṇḍe iti ga svarṇakumbhe iti gha , ṅa , ca bāhye rakṣogaṇāniṣṭvā vidhinā digbalaṃ kṣipet bhūmiṃ saṃsicya saṃsnāpya kuddālādyaṃ prapūjayet
Setelah menyempurnakan upacara Ghorāstra—juga disebut Mahāstra—hendaklah dilukis garis-garis yang ditetapkan. Kemudian, di luar sempadan ritual, setelah mempersembahkan kepada kumpulan rākṣasa, hendaklah menurut aturan melemparkan digbala, yakni ‘kekuatan penjuru’, sebagai perlindungan. Dengan merenjis dan memandikan tanah secara ritual, hendaklah dipuja cangkul dan segala peralatan lain dengan tertib.
Lord Agni (instructional narration typical of Agni Purana ritual chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Protective boundary-rite for a building site: perform Ghorāstra/Mahāstra, draw protective lines, make outer offerings to rākṣasa-gaṇas, project digbala protection, bathe/sprinkle the ground, and consecrate tools.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ghorāstra (Mahāstra) site-protection: rekhā, rākṣasa-bali, digbala, bhūmi-snāna, tool-pūjā","lookup_keywords":["ghorāstra","mahāstra","digbala","rākṣasa-bali","rekhā-lekhana"],"quick_summary":"After completing the Ghorāstra protective rite, draw the prescribed boundary lines, appease outer rākṣasa hosts, cast directional protection (digbala), purify the ground by sprinkling/bathing, and worship the excavation tools."}
Weapon Type: Astra (Ghorāstra/Mahāstra as a protective ‘weapon-rite’)
Concept: Order is created by delimitation (rekhā) and harmonization of seen/unseen forces through bali and mantra; protection precedes construction.
Application: Before excavation, set a protected ritual boundary, perform appeasement offerings, and invoke directional guardianship to prevent obstacles and inauspicious interference.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-kalpa (Protective rites, yantra/mandala, astramantra procedure)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Sacred-direction/Boundary
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A consecrated construction site with a drawn protective line/mandala; outside the boundary small bali offerings for rākṣasa-gaṇas; the officiant performs an astra-rite (Ghorāstra), gestures to the quarters for digbala, then sprinkles and bathes the ground and worships the spade and tools.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bold sacred geometry boundary lines, priest performing dikbandhana and astra-mudrā, small bali offerings outside the perimeter, attendants holding kumbha, tools arranged for pūjā, earthy palette with ritual reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold accents on the boundary rekhā and kumbha, stylized protective symbols, priest casting digbala to the quarters, small offering plates outside the line, ornate depiction of tools receiving worship.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional layout: boundary line, outer bali zone, directional markers, priest completing Ghorāstra, sprinkling/bathing the ground, then pūjā to kuddāla and implements; fine detailing and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, top-down courtyard scene with precise drawn lines, tiny offering heaps outside, priest and assistants in detailed garments, gestures toward cardinal directions, water sprinkling over ground and tools, delicate architectural framing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Text contains editorial notes/variants; analyzed the main pāda: bāhye ... prapūjayet. rakṣogaṇāniṣṭvā = rakṣaḥ-gaṇān iṣṭvā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 92 (dig-rakṣā, bhūmi-śuddhi, kumbha, tool-pūjā sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a protection-focused ritual sequence: complete the Ghorāstra/Mahāstra operation, draw the boundary line (rekhā), appease obstructive beings outside the enclosure, apply directional fortification (digbala/digbandha), purify the ground by sprinkling and lustration, and consecrate the working tools (kuddāla etc.).
It combines mantra-weapon doctrine (astra-sādhana), ritual geometry (rekhā/mandala boundary), spirit-management (rakṣogaṇa offerings), and practical procedural details (site purification and tool-worship), showing how the text preserves both esoteric and operational instructions in one place.
By purifying the site, fortifying the directions, and ritually honoring even the tools, the practitioner minimizes obstacles (doṣa/vighna), aligns the act with dharma, and frames the work as a consecrated, merit-bearing rite rather than a merely physical operation.