Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 8
Ācāra
Right Conduct
आपोहिष्ठेति तिसृभिरिदमापस्तथैव च ततो जलाशये मग्नः कुर्यादन्तर्जलं जपं
āpohiṣṭheti tisṛbhiridamāpastathaiva ca tato jalāśaye magnaḥ kuryādantarjalaṃ japaṃ
‘ஆபோ ஹி ஷ்டா…’ எனத் தொடங்கும் மூன்று ருசிகளாலும், ‘இதமாபஃ…’ மந்திரத்தாலும்; பின்னர் நீர்நிலையிலே மூழ்கி நீருக்குள் ஜபம் செய்ய வேண்டும்।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Snāna-mantra prayoga: recite Āpo hi ṣṭhā (three ṛks) and Idam āpaḥ, then perform underwater japa (antarjala-japa) while immersed in a water body for intensified purification.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āpaḥ-japa: Āpo hi ṣṭhā & Idam āpaḥ with antarjala-japa","lookup_keywords":["āpo hi ṣṭhā","idam āpaḥ","antarjala japa","snāna mantra","jalāśaya"],"quick_summary":"Use the Āpo hi ṣṭhā verses and Idam āpaḥ mantra during bathing; then immerse in a reservoir and perform japa beneath the water as a heightened śuddhi practice."}
Concept: Mantra and element (āpaḥ) synergy: bodily immersion supports pratyāhāra-like inwardness and intensified japa.
Application: Choose a clean water body; recite the prescribed mantras, then do brief controlled underwater japa according to capacity and safety.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Snana-mantra and Apah-japa purification rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee stands at the steps of a temple tank, recites Āpo hi ṣṭhā, then fully immerses and performs silent japa underwater; ripples, lotuses, and a calm dawn atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple tank with lotus pads, devotee half-submerged then fully immersed, stylized water patterns, warm earthy palette, lamp on the ghat","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate ghat and kalasha motifs, gold accents on water ripples and jewelry, devotee performing snāna-mantra and immersion, divine purity aura","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, step-by-step depiction: recitation at water’s edge then immersion for antarjala-japa, fine linework, soft colors, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed water surface with reflections, figure immersing near stone steps, attendants at distance, delicate flora, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: āpohiṣṭheti = आपः + उ + हि + ष्ठा + इति (मन्त्रपाठ-संयोग); tisṛbhiridam = तिसृभिः + इदम्; idamāpaḥ = इदम् + आपः; tathaiva = तथा + एव; kuryādantarjalaṃ = कुर्यात् + अन्तर्जलम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 155 (snāna-mantra and śuddhi progression)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific bathing rite: reciting the Vedic “Āpo hi ṣṭhā…” triad and the “Idam āpaḥ…” water-mantra, followed by underwater japa while immersed in a pond or reservoir.
It preserves precise, practice-oriented liturgical detail—mantra selection, sequence, and bodily procedure (immersion and japa)—showing the text’s role as a compendium of ritual technologies alongside its many other disciplines.
Water-mantra recitation coupled with immersion functions as a purification (śuddhi) practice, traditionally aimed at cleansing ritual impurity and preparing the practitioner for subsequent worship and vows.