Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 41
Chapter 33 — पवित्रारोहणविधानं
The Procedure for Pavitrārohaṇa / Installing the Sacred Thread or Consecratory Amulet
ॐ भीषय भीषय हृत् शिरस्त्रासय वै पुनः मर्दय मर्दय शिखा अग्न्यादौ शस्त्रतोस्त्रकं
oṃ bhīṣaya bhīṣaya hṛt śirastrāsaya vai punaḥ mardaya mardaya śikhā agnyādau śastratostrakaṃ
ఓం భీషయ భీషయ (భయపెట్టు), హృదయం మరియు శిరస్సును కంపించేలా చేయి. శిఖను మర్దయ మర్దయ (అణచివేయి). అగ్ని మొదలైన దిక్కులలో అస్త్ర మంత్రాన్ని ప్రయోగించాలి.
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Protective mantra-prayoga to induce fear/confusion in hostile forces and to neutralize weapons/missiles through Agni-śikhā (fiery crest) visualization and command-phrases.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Bhīṣaṇa–Mardana Mantra for Weapon/Missile Nullification (Agni-Śikhā)","lookup_keywords":["bhishaya","mardaya","agni shikha","shastra","astra"],"quick_summary":"A command-style mantra: terrify the enemy’s heart and head, then crush weapons and missiles by invoking Agni’s śikhā as the neutralizing force."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa
Weapon Type: Shastra and Astra (weapons and missiles)
Concept: Mantra as śakti: repeated imperatives are treated as operative speech that alters threat dynamics (fear, tremor, neutralization).
Application: Applied in kavaca/astravidyā contexts: recite with focused intent to protect oneself and disarm hostile forces.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Mantra-prayoga for protection and weapon-nullification)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner invoking a fiery Agni-śikhā above the head, waves of heat radiating outward as arrows and weapons dissolve or shatter mid-air; enemies recoil in fear clutching chest and head.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Agni’s flame-crest as a stylized red-gold plume above the sādhaka, incoming weapons rendered as flat icons breaking into fragments, bold outlines, ritual intensity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central figure with blazing śikhā halo, gold leaf flames, shattered weapons around, dramatic contrast, ornate borders emphasizing protective power.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean didactic depiction—arrows halted by a flame barrier at head level, labels for ‘hṛt’ and ‘śiras’, soft palette with precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: battlefield vignette with a yogic figure; detailed arrows frozen and splintering near a flame aura; expressive faces showing fear; fine brushwork and landscape depth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शिरस्त्रासय = शिरः + त्रासय; प्रायः ‘शिखा’ here is intended as object: शिखाम्; अग्न्यादौ = अग्नि + आदौ (avyayībhāva). ‘शस्त्रतोस्त्रकं’ appears as शस्त्रतः + उस्त्रकम् (uncertain/rare reading).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Agneya-vidyā / astramantra passages; Agni Purana: kavaca and phaṭ-kāra usage in protective rites
FAQs
It gives a mantra-prayoga intended to induce fear in an aggressor and to subdue or neutralize śastra (weapons) and astra (missiles), invoking Agni’s śikhā as the operative power.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied ritual technologies—mantras for protection, countermeasures, and battlefield/defensive rites—showing its coverage of practical disciplines (rakṣā, śamana, and astra-śānti) beyond narrative myth.
As a rakṣā-mantra, it is framed as a purificatory and protective act: invoking Agni to burn hostility and avert harm, thereby safeguarding the practitioner’s dharmic life and reducing the karmic impact of violence through restraint and warding.