Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 17
Utpāta-śānti
Pacification of Portents
न दीप्यते चेन्धनवांस्तद्राष्ट्रं पाड्यते नृपैः अग्निवैकृत्यशमनमग्निमन्त्रैश् च भार्गव
na dīpyate cendhanavāṃstadrāṣṭraṃ pāḍyate nṛpaiḥ agnivaikṛtyaśamanamagnimantraiś ca bhārgava
ਜੇ ਇੰਧਨ ਹੋਣ ਤੇ ਵੀ ਅੱਗ ਨਾ ਭੜਕੇ, ਤਾਂ ਉਹ ਰਾਜ ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਪੀੜਤ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੇ ਭਾਰਗਵ! ਅੱਗ ਦੇ ਐਸੇ ਵਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਮਨ ਅਗਨੀ-ਮੰਤਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (instructing a Bhārgava sage within the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Diagnosing political misfortune through fire-omens and applying Agni-mantras as śānti to normalize ritual fire behavior and avert royal harassment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agni-vaikṛtya-śamana by Agni-mantras","lookup_keywords":["agni-vaikṛtya","fire-omen","agni-mantra","rāṣṭra-doṣa","śānti-kalpa"],"quick_summary":"If a fueled fire fails to ignite properly, it is read as a sign of impending political affliction. The remedy is a pacificatory rite employing Agni-mantras to remove the abnormality and stabilize the realm."}
Concept: The king’s dharma and the realm’s stability are reflected in cosmic/ritual indicators; correcting ritual disorder supports social order.
Application: In royal rituals, treat persistent fire failure as a governance alarm; perform Agni-mantra śānti alongside practical statecraft measures.
Khanda Section: Agni-vidya / Shanti-kalpa (Fire-omens and pacificatory rites)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual fire-pit piled with fuel refuses to blaze; priests and a concerned royal figure observe. A later scene shows chanting of Agni-mantras to pacify the abnormal fire-omen.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yajña scene with dim, stubborn fire despite fuel, anxious yet composed priests, then Agni-mantra chanting with renewed sacred aura, earthy reds and lamp-lit shadows","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Agni deity invoked above the kuṇḍa with gold radiance, king and purohita present, contrast between dull embers and divine golden flame as śānti succeeds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional layout of kuṇḍa and samidh arrangement, priest reciting Agni-mantras with rosary, gradual ignition depicted in sequential visual cues","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court ritual with detailed textiles and vessels, a strangely unlit fire-pit, courtiers whispering, priest chanting to restore flame, architectural finesse"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cendhanavān = ca + indhanavān. tadrāṣṭram = tat + rāṣṭram. agnivaikṛtyaśamanamagnimantraiḥ = agni-vaikṛtya-śamanam + agni-mantraiḥ (अम् + अ = अ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 262 (Agni-vidyā, śānti-kalpa sequence)
FAQs
It teaches omen-reading and remedy: a fire that fails to blaze despite adequate fuel is treated as an inauspicious agni-vaikṛtya, to be pacified through Agni-specific mantra recitation (śamana with agni-mantras).
It links ritual diagnostics (omens from fire behavior) with statecraft outcomes (political affliction of a kingdom) and prescribes a practical shanti procedure, showing how the text integrates divination/portents, governance (rāṣṭra, nṛpa), and mantra-ritual technology.
By performing Agni-mantra śamana for an inauspicious fire-sign, one ritually restores auspiciousness and order (ṛta) in the realm, mitigating harmful outcomes indicated by the omen and supporting collective welfare.