Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 9
Sāma-vidhāna
Procedure of the Sāman Hymns
शतावरिमणिबद्ध्वा नाप्नुयाच्छस्त्रतो भयं दीर्घतमसोर्क इति हुत्त्वान्नं प्राप्नुयाद्बहु शान्तिराङ्गिरसी याम्या पार्थिवी सर्वकामदा यस्त्वां मृत्युरिति ह्य् एतज्जप्तं मृत्युविनाशनं
śatāvarimaṇibaddhvā nāpnuyācchastrato bhayaṃ dīrghatamasorka iti huttvānnaṃ prāpnuyādbahu śāntirāṅgirasī yāmyā pārthivī sarvakāmadā yastvāṃ mṛtyuriti hy etajjaptaṃ mṛtyuvināśanaṃ
शतावरिमणिबद्ध्वा नाप्नुयाच्छस्त्रतो भयम्। “दीर्घतमसोर्क” इति हुत्वा अन्नं प्राप्नुयाद्बहु। शान्तिराङ्गिरसी याम्या पार्थिवी सर्वकामदा। “यस्त्वां मृत्युः” इति ह्येतज्जप्तं मृत्युविनाशनम्।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Personal protection from weapons via śatāvarī-maṇi amulet; prosperity/food increase via homa; death-aversion via japa of a specific mantra; cataloging Āṅgirasa/Yāmya/Pārthivī śāntis.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śatāvarī-maṇi Rakṣā for Śastra-bhaya; Āṅgirasa-Yāmya-Pārthivī Śānti and Mṛtyu-nāśana Japa","lookup_keywords":["śatāvarī maṇi","śastra-bhaya","dīrgha-tamas-orka","Āṅgirasa śānti","yastvāṃ mṛtyuḥ"],"quick_summary":"Tie the śatāvarī-gem amulet to avert weapon-fear; perform homa with the stated mantra for abundant food; Āṅgirasa/Yāmya/Pārthivī śāntis grant aims, and japa of ‘yastvāṃ mṛtyuḥ…’ is prescribed for averting death."}
Weapon Type: Śastra (general weapons: sword/spear etc.)
Concept: Rakṣā and śānti as means to neutralize external dangers (weapons, death) and internal anxieties; mantra-japa as life-protecting discipline.
Application: Deploy layered protection: physical token (maṇi), fire-offering (homa), and sustained repetition (japa) for escalating severity of threats.
Khanda Section: Mantra-shanti and Raksha-kalpa (Protective rites, pacificatory mantras)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A person is fitted with a śatāvarī-gem amulet for protection from weapons; a priest performs homa for food abundance; a devotee performs intense japa to avert death, with Yama’s shadow receding.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: amulet-tying scene with protective motifs, adjacent homa fire with offerings of grain, and a seated japa practitioner; faint Yama figure dissolving into the background, serene yet vigilant mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-embellished protective amulet and homa altar, overflowing grain pots symbolizing abundance, Yama subdued at the edge, rich iconographic symbolism.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional triptych—(1) maṇi-bandhana, (2) homa with mantra, (3) japa posture with rosary—clear sequencing and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly/warrior context with a protected figure wearing amulet, a small fire-rite in a pavilion, and a contemplative japa scene; allegorical Yama as a faint figure in the margin."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāpnuyācchastrato → na āpnuyāt śastrataḥ; huttvānnaṃ → hutvā annam; prāpnuyādbahu → prāpnuyāt bahu; śāntirāṅgirasī → śāntiḥ āṅgirasī; hy → hi; etajjaptaṃ → etat japtam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 260 (rakṣā-maṇi, śānti-homa, mṛtyu-jaya style japa)
FAQs
It teaches practical rakṣā-prayoga: wearing a śatāvarī-maṇi amulet to avert weapon-related danger, performing homa with a specified mantra for anna-prāpti (abundant food), and doing japa of a death-averting mantra connected with Yāmya/Āṅgirasa śānti.
It blends multiple applied domains—herbal/amulet practice (Ayurveda-adjacent), fire-offering procedure (homa), and Atharvanic-style protective/pacifying mantra taxonomy (Āṅgirasa, Yāmya, Pārthivī)—showing the Agni Purana’s wide coverage of ritual technology and pragmatic life-protection.
By śānti, homa, and japa, the practitioner seeks removal of imminent harm (especially death and weapon peril) and gains sustenance, reflecting the Purāṇic view that properly applied mantra and offering rites can pacify adverse forces and preserve life and dharma.