Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 29
Chapter 24 — कुण्डनिर्माणादिविधिः
Procedure for Constructing the Fire-pit and Related Rites
रुद्रनासिकामिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः वक्त्रनासिकामिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः आद्यं तयोस्तु सम्पूज्य त्रीन् वारानूर्ध्वमुत्क्षिपेदिति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः प्रतप्य दर्भैः सम्मृज्य पुनः प्रक्ष्याल्य चैव हि निष्टप्य स्थापयित्वा तु प्रणवेनैव साधकः
rudranāsikāmiti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ vaktranāsikāmiti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ ādyaṃ tayostu sampūjya trīn vārānūrdhvamutkṣipediti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ pratapya darbhaiḥ sammṛjya punaḥ prakṣyālya caiva hi niṣṭapya sthāpayitvā tu praṇavenaiva sādhakaḥ
దానిని వేడిచేసి దర్భతో తుడిచి మళ్లీ కడగాలి; తరువాత బాగా ఎండబెట్టి యథాస్థానంలో ఉంచాలి. సాధకుడు కేవలం ప్రణవం ‘ఓం’తోనే (సంస్కారం/సమాప్తి) చేయాలి. (పాఠాంతరం: ‘రుద్రనాసికా’/‘వక్త్రనాసికా’; అలాగే—ముందుగా రెండింటినీ పూజించి మొదటిదాన్ని మూడుసార్లు పైకి ఎత్తాలి.)
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Gives a purification cycle for ritual implements (heating, darbha-wiping, washing, drying, placing) and seals the act with praṇava; also preserves variant readings for correct performance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Upakaraṇa-śodhana: Tāpana–Darbha-mārjana–Prakṣālana–Niṣṭāpana with Praṇava-samāpana","lookup_keywords":["darbha-mārjana","tāpana","prakṣālana","praṇava","śodhana"],"quick_summary":"Purify the implement by heating, wiping with darbha, washing again, drying and placing it properly; complete/authorize the act with Oṃ (praṇava)."}
Concept: External purification supports internal steadiness; praṇava functions as a universal seal (saṅkalpa/saṃskāra-siddhi) across rites.
Application: Use a consistent purification protocol; treat Oṃ as the concise concluding sanctifier when specific mantras are not prescribed.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Ritual procedure and purification in worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner purifies a ritual implement: heats it near the fire, wipes with darbha, washes with water, dries it, places it back, and intones Oṃ; marginal note-like presence of variant readings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style; agni-kunda at left, sādhaka holding darbha bundle wiping a warmed ladle/implement, water pot and cloth for drying; a subtle palm-leaf manuscript motif indicating variant readings; flat sacred composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold accents; the implement and darbha rendered prominently, agni glowing, water vessel ornamented; the syllable ‘Oṃ’ shown as a golden emblem above, signifying praṇava-samāpana.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic sequence: four small panels—heating, darbha-wiping, washing, drying/placing—final panel with the practitioner chanting Oṃ; neat borders and clear gestures.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; intimate ritual chamber with detailed vessels, darbha grass, and fire brazier; the practitioner carefully cleans and dries the implement; a scribe-like figure hints at manuscript variants."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव. The opening apparatus ‘rudranāsikām…/vaktranāsikām… cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ’ is manuscript-variant annotation and not parsed as verse padas here; main instructional text analyzed from ‘ādyaṃ…’ onward.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 24.32 (praṇava-upacāra principle); Agni Purana 24 (homa and upacāra sequencing)
FAQs
It teaches a step-by-step purification protocol for a ritual object/implement—heat it, wipe with darbha, wash again, dry, place properly, and conclude the rite by invoking Praṇava (Oṁ).
Beyond theology, it preserves practical procedural know-how for worship—material purification, handling of implements, and mantra-based consecration—showing the Agni Purāṇa as a manual of applied ritual technology.
The sequence emphasizes śuddhi (purity) of both substance and intention; sealing the act with Oṁ sacralizes the procedure, aligning the practitioner’s action with mantra-power and reducing ritual impurity (doṣa).