Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 16
Tvaritājñānam
Knowledge of Tvaritā, the Swift Goddess) — Agni Purana, Adhyāya 314 (as introduced after 313
माया लीला लाली यामा याज्ञे ज्ञेया नौसा माया यत्र ज्ञेया वहिः शीघ्रा दिक्षुरं कलसं वहिः
māyā līlā lālī yāmā yājñe jñeyā nausā māyā yatra jñeyā vahiḥ śīghrā dikṣuraṃ kalasaṃ vahiḥ
‘ਮਾਇਆ, ਲੀਲਾ, ਲਾਲੀ, ਯਾਮਾ’—ਇਹ ਯਜ्ञ-ਵਿਧੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਣਣਯੋਗ ਹਨ। ‘ਨੌਸਾ’ ਮਾਇਆ ਹੈ; ਜਿੱਥੇ ਇਹ ਜ਼ਿਕਰ ਹੋਵੇ, ਉੱਥੇ ਇਹ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਭਾਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੈ। ‘ਸ਼ੀਘਰਾ’ ਵੀ ਬਾਹਰੀ; ਇਸੇ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਦਿਕਸ਼ੁਰਮ’ ਅਤੇ ‘ਕਲਸਮ’ ਵੀ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਮੰਨੇ ਜਾਣ।
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing sage Vasiṣṭha (standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Ritual-nyāsa guidance for a series of mystical terms/syllables (rahasya-saṃjñā) indicating where they are to be placed/uttered (e.g., ‘outwardly’) within a rite.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Ritual-nyāsa terms: Māyā–Līlā–Lālī–Yāmā and outward placement rules","lookup_keywords":["nyāsa","Māyā","Līlā","Śīghrā","Kalaśa"],"quick_summary":"A set of coded mantra-terms is enumerated and their ritual handling is specified—some are to be understood within the yajña context, while certain items (e.g., Nausā, Śīghrā, Dikṣuram, Kalaśam) are designated for ‘external/outward’ placement or utterance."}
Concept: Nyāsa is a ‘mapping’ of power through sound and placement; inner/outer (antar/bahir) distinctions regulate containment and projection of mantra-śakti.
Application: In a prescribed prayoga, keep track of which mantra-terms are internalized and which are projected outward (bahis) to the ritual boundary/implements, maintaining the rite’s energetic geometry.
Khanda Section: Mantra-vidya / Ritual-nyasa (Tantric-ritual instructions and mystical syllable-series)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual layout showing inner and outer zones: the practitioner recites a sequence ‘Māyā, Līlā, Lālī, Yāmā’ and places certain labeled tokens/marks outward near boundary lines and ritual implements like a kalaśa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, concentric ritual space with inner sanctified circle and outer boundary, priest chanting, labels for Māyā/Līlā etc., kalaśa at perimeter, stylized sacred geometry and lamps","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted concentric mandala, priest performing nyāsa gestures, outward placement near a gleaming gold kalasha, rich reds, greens, and embossed ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic diagram: inner vs outer zones clearly separated, small callouts ‘bahis’ near tokens ‘Śīghrā’, ‘Dikṣuram’, ‘Kalaśam’, neat linework and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritualist in a pavilion with a drawn mandala, assistants placing labeled slips outward, a kalasha and vessels arranged, fine calligraphy and delicate shading"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Jog","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond mantra-like concatenations; ‘वहिः’ appears twice as an adverb.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 313 (nyāsa and mantra-rahasya sequence)
FAQs
It lists specific mantra-names/designations (e.g., Māyā, Līlā, etc.) and indicates their ritual handling as “external/outward” (bahiḥ)—i.e., to be placed/recited in an outer sequence rather than internalized nyāsa.
Beyond myth and theology, it preserves practical ritual-technology: coded mantra nomenclature, placement rules (inner vs. outer), and ritual implements like the kalaśa—showing the text’s manual-like coverage of tantric-paurāṇic procedure.
Correct mantra designation and placement is held to ensure ritual purity, protection, and efficacy; following the prescribed “external” sequence is treated as necessary for the rite to yield its intended merit (puṇya) and safeguarding.