Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 21
Chapter 303: Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-syllable (Pañcākṣara) — पञ्चाक्षरादिपूजामन्त्राः
बलविकारिणी चार्थ बलप्रमथनी तथा सर्वभूतदमनी च नवमी च मनोन्मनी
balavikāriṇī cārtha balapramathanī tathā sarvabhūtadamanī ca navamī ca manonmanī
ਬਲ ਨੂੰ ਬਦਲਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਬਲਵਿਕਾਰিণੀ, ਅਤੇ ਬਲ ਨੂੰ ਕੁਚਲਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਬਲਪ੍ਰਮਥਨੀ; ਸਭ ਭੂਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਮਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਸਰਵਭੂਤਦਮਨੀ; ਨਵਮੀ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ; ਅਤੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਉਨਮਨ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਵੱਲ ਉਠਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਮਨੋਨਮਨੀ।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Name-recitation (japa) and archana: using specific Devi-namas to invoke functional powers—subduing, transforming, and transcending mind.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Devi-nāmas: Balavikāriṇī to Manonmanī","lookup_keywords":["devi nama","manonmani","sarvabhuta-damani","balapramathani","navami shakti"],"quick_summary":"These epithets are used in japa/archana to invoke Devi’s capacities: altering strength, crushing obstructive force, subduing beings, manifesting as the Ninth power, and elevating the mind beyond ordinary thought (Manonmanī)."}
Alamkara Type: Namavali (epithetic enumeration)
Concept: Manonmanī indicates mind-transcendence: devotion and mantra lead from mental fluctuation to supra-mental absorption.
Application: In japa, contemplate each name’s function—disciplining impulses (bala), pacifying disturbances (damani), and settling into inward stillness (manonmanī).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devi-nama-stotra (Names of the Goddess for japa and worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee performing archana with a rosary and flowers before a Devi yantra; the names appear as a garland of syllables around the deity, culminating in a serene halo labeled Manonmanī.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Devi seated with calm gaze, archaka offering flowers, a circular band of Sanskrit nāmas around, subdued yet saturated palette, emphasis on serenity and controlled power","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Devi with ornate crown, gold-embossed name-garland motif, devotee with japamala, rich maroon backdrop, luminous gold highlighting the epithet Manonmanī near the head halo","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined facial expressions, clear depiction of japa and archana items, the five names written neatly on a scroll beside the Devi, instructional clarity with gentle devotional mood","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate shrine scene, devotee counting beads, calligraphed Sanskrit epithets on cartouches, delicate floral borders, soft shading and fine textile detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cārtha → ca + artha.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 303 (Devi-nama-stotra section)
FAQs
It gives specific Devi-epithets intended for mantra-japa and stotra recitation—names that invoke her power to transform, crush hostile force, and subdue disruptive beings, culminating in the contemplative Tantric idea of Manonmanī (mind-transcending absorption).
Alongside law, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also catalogs practical liturgical material—name-lists and mantra-oriented theology—showing how devotion and ritual technology (nāma-japa, tithi-linked worship like Navamī) are systematized.
Reciting these names is traditionally held to purify the mind, neutralize obstructive forces, and lead toward inner mastery—symbolized by Manonmanī, the state where the mind is stilled and elevated beyond ordinary fluctuations.