Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
हस्ताभिषेकं कृत्वाथ प्रायात् पूजादिकं बुधः मूलेनाब्जासनं कुर्यात्तेन पूरककुम्भकान्
hastābhiṣekaṃ kṛtvātha prāyāt pūjādikaṃ budhaḥ mūlenābjāsanaṃ kuryāttena pūrakakumbhakān
ਹੱਥਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਭਿਸੇਕ ਕਰਕੇ ਬੁੱਧਿਮਾਨ ਸਾਧਕ ਫਿਰ ਪੂਜਾ ਆਦਿ ਕਰਮਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਪ੍ਰਵਿਰਤ ਹੋਵੇ। ਮੂਲ-ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਲ ਪਦਮਾਸਨ ਧਾਰੇ ਅਤੇ ਉਸੇ ਨਾਲ ਪੂਰਕ ਤੇ ਕੁੰਭਕ (ਪ੍ਰਾਣਾਯਾਮ) ਕਰੇ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Yoga","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Integrate ritual purity (hand-ablution) with worship, then mantra-supported posture (padmāsana) and regulated breath (pūraka, kumbhaka) as immediate preparation for deeper japa/dhyāna.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pūjā-krama with padmāsana and mantra-led prāṇāyāma","lookup_keywords":["hastābhiṣeka","pūjā","mūla-mantra","padmāsana","pūraka-kumbhaka"],"quick_summary":"After cleansing the hands, proceed with worship; then sit in lotus posture and perform inhalation and retention, coordinated with the root-mantra, to stabilize mind and prāṇa for sādhana."}
Concept: Ritual action (kriyā) is completed by inner regulation (prāṇāyāma) using mantra as the linking principle.
Application: Before japa/meditation, do brief cleansing, assume stable seat, then a measured pūraka–kumbhaka cycle synchronized with mantra to reduce distraction.
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi / Yoga-prāṇāyāma (Ritual procedure with breath-regulation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner washes hands over a vessel, then sits in padmāsana before a small altar, counting breath with a mālā while silently aligning the root-mantra to inhalation and retention.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sādhaka in padmāsana before lamp-lit altar, hands freshly washed, stylized breath lines subtle, calm facial expression, warm temple interior tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf lamp and altar frame, sādhaka seated in lotus with mālā, ritual vessels gleaming, devotional stillness with ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional clarity: sequence panels—hand ablution, pūjā items, padmāsana, breath phases labeled pūraka/kumbhaka; delicate linework and soft palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate interior with prayer niche, sādhaka seated cross-legged (lotus), attendant objects (mālā, water pot), refined textiles, quiet concentration."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कृत्वाथ = कृत्वा + अथ; मूलेनाब्जासनं = मूलेन + अब्जासनम्; कुर्यात्तेन = कुर्यात् + तेन.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303 (pūjā-vidhi with prāṇāyāma)
FAQs
It prescribes a precise worship-preparatory sequence: hand-ablution (hastābhiṣeka), then proceeding to pūjā, adopting padmāsana, and performing pūraka–kumbhaka prāṇāyāma while employing the mūla-mantra.
It integrates multiple disciplines in a single operational instruction—ritual hygiene, mantra-application, yogic posture, and prāṇāyāma—showing how the Agni Purāṇa blends pūjā-vidhi with yoga/tantric praxis as a practical handbook.
The hand-ablution symbolizes purification, while mantra-supported āsana and regulated breath steady the mind and prāṇa, making the worship more focused and ritually “fit,” thereby enhancing the efficacy (siddhi) and merit (puṇya) of the pūjā.