Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 77
Ṛग्विधानम् (Ṛgvidhāna) — Applications of Ṛgvedic Mantras through Japa and Homa
आपोहिष्टेति वारिस्थो जपेत्पापभयार्दने प्रदेवन्नेति नियतो जपेच्च मरुधन्वसु
āpohiṣṭeti vāristho japetpāpabhayārdane pradevanneti niyato japecca marudhanvasu
De pé na água, deve-se recitar o mantra que começa com “Āpohiṣṭhā…” para remover o pecado e o medo. Com disciplina e autocontrole, deve-se recitar também o mantra que começa com “Pradevann…”, e do mesmo modo (recitar) na região de Marudhanvan.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vashistha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Water-based japa (standing in water) of ‘Āpohiṣṭhā…’ for pāpa-bhaya removal; additional disciplined japa of ‘Pradevann…’; indicates place-sensitive prayoga (Marudhanvan).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āpohiṣṭhā Water-Japa for Pāpa-bhaya-ardana; Pradevann Japa and Marudhanvan Prayoga","lookup_keywords":["Āpohiṣṭhā","water japa","pāpa","bhaya","Marudhanvan"],"quick_summary":"Perform japa while standing in water with the Āpohiṣṭhā mantra to remove sin and fear; maintain niyama and add the Pradevann mantra, with a note on Marudhanvan as a relevant locale for the rite."}
Concept: Āpas (water) as śuddhi-medium: external immersion supports internal cleansing when paired with mantra and niyama.
Application: Use water-japa as a prāyaścitta adjunct—bathe/stand in clean water, control breath and speech, and recite with focused mind rather than mechanical repetition.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Mantra-japa and Prayashchitta)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Sacred region/forest (vana)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner standing waist-deep in a river or tank, hands in añjali, reciting Āpohiṣṭhā; a manuscript or teacher nearby indicating further mantras and the Marudhanvan association.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, riverbank with stylized waves, devotee waist-deep in water chanting, temple silhouette and palms in background, calm yet protective mood, traditional pigment palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sacred water body with lotus motifs, devotee in añjali, gold-leaf accents on water ripples and halo-like aura, auspicious vessels on the bank.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic scene: posture of standing in water, breath-control cues, mantra text panel ‘Āpohiṣṭhā’, clean composition and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic river scene with gentle current, devotee reciting, attendants on bank with cloth and manuscript, detailed flora and architectural pavilion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: āpohiṣṭeti → āpo-hiṣṭā iti; japetpāpabhayārdane → japet pāpa-bhaya-ardane; pradevanneti → pra-devat iti; japecca → japet ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 258 (śuddhi-mantras; water-related purification practices)
FAQs
It prescribes a practical prayāścitta: performing japa of specific Vedic-starting mantras (notably “Āpo hi ṣṭhā…”) while standing in water, as a method to counter sin and fear.
It records operational ritual directions—mantra-selection, posture/location (standing in water), and disciplined observance—showing the text’s role as a compendium of applied religious technique, not only mythology.
Water-mantra japa is framed as a purifier that mitigates pāpa (karmic demerit) and alleviates bhaya (fear), restoring ritual and inner purity through regulated recitation.