Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 25

Mantra-paribhāṣā

Technical Definitions and Operational Rules of Mantras

Devanagari script

सङ्ख्यानुक्तौ शतं साष्टं सहस्रं वा जपादिषु जपाद्दशांशं सर्वत्र साभिशेकं हुतं विदुः

Transliteration

saṅkhyānuktau śataṃ sāṣṭaṃ sahasraṃ vā japādiṣu japāddaśāṃśaṃ sarvatra sābhiśekaṃ hutaṃ viduḥ

Translation

ସଂଖ୍ୟା ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ ଥିଲେ ଜପାଦି କ୍ରିୟାରେ ୧୦୮ କିମ୍ବା ୧୦୦୦ ଥର କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ସର୍ବତ୍ର ହୋମକୁ ଜପର ଦଶମାଂଶ ବୋଲି ଜଣାଯାଏ, ଏବଂ ତାହା ଅଭିଷେକସହିତ କରାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• सङ्ख्या-अनुक्तौ: when the count is not specified
• सङ्ख्या-अनुक्तौ: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ख्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative absolute sense: 'when the number is not stated'

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: कर्म/प्रमाण (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; numeral used as default count

• स-अष्टम्: with eight (i.e., 108)
• स-अष्टम्: विशेषण/प्रमाण (Qualifier/Measure)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय उपसर्ग/particle) + अष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; avyayībhāva: 'with eight' = 108 (hundred with eight)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: कर्म/प्रमाण (Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: समुच्चय/विकल्प-निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विकल्प (alternative)

• जप-आदिषु: in japa etc.
• जप-आदिषु: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; 'in japa and the like (rites)'

• जपात्: from japa
• जपात्: अपादान (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• दश-अंशम्: a tenth part
• दश-अंशम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; 'one-tenth portion'

• सर्वत्र: everywhere/in all cases
• सर्वत्र: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place/generalization)

• स-अभिषेकम्: with consecration (abhiṣeka)
• स-अभिषेकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय) + अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; avyayībhāva: 'together with abhiṣeka'

• हुतम्: offering (homa)
• हुतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle used as noun: 'homa offering'

• विदुः: they know/consider
• विदुः: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; 'they know/consider'

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: सङ्ख्यानुक्तौ → सङ्ख्या + अनुक्तौ; साष्टं → स + अष्टम्; जपाद्दशांशं → जपात् + दशांशम्; साभिशेकं → स + अभिषेकम्.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Japa
• Homa
• Abhiṣeka

FAQs

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

It gives a practical rule for mantra-sādhana: standard japa counts (108 or 1000) and the proportional homa requirement—offer oblations equal to one-tenth of the japa, performed along with abhiṣeka.

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

It preserves procedural “ritual arithmetic” used across pūjā systems—standard counts, proportional offerings, and integrated rites (japa–homa–abhiṣeka)—showing the text’s handbook-like coverage of applied religious practice.

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

By aligning japa with its daśāṃśa-homa and abhiṣeka, the practice is treated as complete and properly consecrated, supporting purification (śuddhi) and steadiness of mantra results (siddhi).