Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 16
Chapter 264 — Dikpālādi-snāna
Bathing rites for the Dikpālas and associated deities
जातीफलं लवङ्गञ्च मृत्तिकां पञ्चगव्यकं भद्रपीठे स्थितं साध्यं स्नापयेयुर्द्विजा बलात्
jātīphalaṃ lavaṅgañca mṛttikāṃ pañcagavyakaṃ bhadrapīṭhe sthitaṃ sādhyaṃ snāpayeyurdvijā balāt
နတ်မက် (ဇာတီဖလ)၊ လဝင်္ဂ (ကလိုဗ်)၊ မြတ္တိကာ (မြေ) နှင့် ပဉ္စဂဝျ (နွားထွက်ငါးမျိုး) ဖြင့်၊ မင်္ဂလာပီဋ္ဌ (bhadrapīṭha) ပေါ်တွင် တင်ထားသော sādhya ကို ဗြာဟ္မဏများသည် အခိုင်အမာ အားထုတ်၍ အဘိသေက (ရေချိုးပူဇော်) ပြုလုပ်စေကြရမည်။
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Perform abhiṣeka (ritual bathing) of the sādhya (deity/yantra/ritual object) seated on a bhadrapīṭha using a mixture including nutmeg, clove, clay, and pañcagavya—aimed at purification, sanctification, and auspicious consecration.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Abhiṣeka on bhadrapīṭha using pañcagavya with aromatic adjuncts","lookup_keywords":["abhisheka","panchagavya","bhadrapitha","lavanga","jatiphala"],"quick_summary":"The verse prescribes a specific abhiṣeka medium—pañcagavya with aromatics and clay—applied to the consecrated object on an auspicious pedestal under brahminical supervision."}
Concept: Śauca (purity) and proper adhikāra (qualified officiants) uphold the efficacy of consecratory acts.
Application: Use proper materials, correct seating/placement, and competent officiants; complete the abhiṣeka sequence before offerings and mantra-japa.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Ritual Worship and Abhisheka Procedures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brahmins perform abhiṣeka over a deity/ritual object seated on a bhadrapīṭha, pouring sanctified liquids while aromatics and clay are prepared nearby; vessels and ladles arranged around the altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, temple interior with bhadrapīṭha and seated deity/kalasha, brahmins pouring abhiṣeka, bowls of pañcagavya, nutmeg and clove motifs, rich reds/ochres, stylized lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central deity on ornate pedestal, abhiṣeka stream rendered with gold highlights, priests with vessels, heavy gold work on pedestal and jewelry, sacred aura.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear ritual-instruction scene: bhadrapīṭha labeled, vessels for pañcagavya, small bowls for jātīphala/lavaṅga/mṛttikā, neat composition and fine lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed ceremonial bathing in a pavilion, attendants holding ewers, precise depiction of pedestal and vessels, delicate patterns on textiles and floor."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: lavaṅgañca → lavaṅgam + ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: abhiṣeka/snāna-vidhi sequences; Agni Purana: pañcagavya usage in purification contexts; Agni Purana: pīṭha-lakṣaṇa and worship-seat descriptions (where present)
FAQs
It prescribes specific abhiṣeka (ritual-bathing) materials—nutmeg, clove, clay, and pañcagavya—and instructs officiating dvijas to bathe the ritual-subject placed on a bhadrapīṭha as part of consecration/purification procedure.
It functions like a compact ritual-manual entry, listing precise dravyas (materials) and a procedural setting (bhadrapīṭha), exemplifying how the Agni Purāṇa catalogues practical temple/ritual techniques alongside its broader theology and lore.
The abhiṣeka with purificatory substances (especially pañcagavya and mṛttikā) signifies cleansing of impurity and strengthening of ritual efficacy, aiming at sanctification (śuddhi) and successful “sādhana” outcomes through properly enforced observance.