Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 17
Chapter 21 — सामान्यपूजाकथनम्
Teaching on General Worship
अर्काय शिरसे तद्वदग्नीशासुरवायुगान् भूर्भुवः स्वरे ज्वालिनि शिखा हुं कवचं स्मृतं
arkāya śirase tadvadagnīśāsuravāyugān bhūrbhuvaḥ svare jvālini śikhā huṃ kavacaṃ smṛtaṃ
Для головы назначают Арку (Солнце); так же назначают Агни, Ишу, Асура и Ваю. При произнесении «Bhūr» и «Bhuvaḥ» в соответствующем тоне (svara) мантра «Jvālinī, Śikhā, Huṃ» помнится как кавача — защитная мантрическая броня.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating Agni Purana instructions to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mantra-kavaca and aṅga-nyāsa mapping: assigning deities to head/limbs and sealing protection with ‘Jvālinī Śikhā Huṃ’ alongside bhūr-bhuvaḥ utterance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Mantra-kavaca: Śiras-nyāsa and protective sealing with Jvālinī–Śikhā–Huṃ","lookup_keywords":["kavaca","śiras-nyāsa","bhūr bhuvaḥ","Jvālinī","Śikhā huṃ"],"quick_summary":"Specifies protective ‘armor’ nyāsa: deity-placements (Sūrya etc.) and a sealing mantra using bhūr-bhuvaḥ with ‘Jvālinī, Śikhā, Huṃ’. Used to safeguard the sādhaka and the rite."}
Concept: Ritual protection (kavaca) is created by mantra-sealing and deity-placement, aligning microcosm (body) with macrocosm (lokas: bhūr/bhuvaḥ).
Application: Perform śiras/śikhā/kavaca nyāsa before main worship to reduce distraction and cultivate a guarded, focused mind.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Mantra-kavaca (Protective mantra-armor in ritual and tantric nyasa)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner performs protective nyāsa: touching head and crown-lock (śikhā), visualizing fiery protection around the body while uttering bhūr-bhuvaḥ and ‘Jvālinī Śikhā Huṃ’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized flame-aura encircling the sādhaka; subtle deity-forms (Sūrya, Agni, Īśa, Vāyu) in the corners; the practitioner touching head and crown; bold reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure with gold-embossed protective aureole; small medallions showing Sūrya/Agni/Īśa/Vāyu; inscription-like band with ‘Jvālinī Śikhā Huṃ’; heavy gold highlights on flames.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: diagrammatic yet elegant—body outline with marked head/śikhā/kavaca zones; accompanying miniature deity icons; clean instructional clarity with soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: refined interior shrine; practitioner in profile touching head; translucent flame-veil painted as delicate wash; marginalia-like cartouches for bhūr-bhuvaḥ and the sealing mantra."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"focused","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्वदग्नीशासुरवायुगान् = तद्वत् + अग्नि-ईश-असुर-वायु-गान् (समास/संयोग).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 21 (kavaca, aṅga-nyāsa, bhūr-bhuvaḥ usage in nyāsa)
FAQs
It teaches kavaca-nyāsa style protection: assigning specific deities/powers to the head and sealing the practitioner with vyāhṛtis (Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ) and protective seed-syllables like huṃ, alongside a śikhā-protection formula (Jvālinī/Śikhā).
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves applied ritual technology—mantra intonation (svara), deity-mapping onto body parts (nyāsa), and protective seals (kavaca)—showing its wide scope across liturgy, tantra-influenced practice, and practical soteriology.
Kavaca and śikhā-mantras are meant to purify and guard the practitioner’s subtle and physical body, reducing obstacles and negative influences during worship, thereby supporting steadiness (saṃyama) and merit-bearing ritual performance.