Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 32
Tvaritā-pūjā (The Worship of Tvaritā) — Transition Verse and Context
मुद्रा वक्ष्ये प्रणीताद्याः प्रणीताः पञ्चधास्मृताः ग्रथितौ तु करौ कृत्वा मध्ये ऽङ्गुष्ठौ निपातयेत्
mudrā vakṣye praṇītādyāḥ praṇītāḥ pañcadhāsmṛtāḥ grathitau tu karau kṛtvā madhye 'ṅguṣṭhau nipātayet
เราจักกล่าวถึงมุทราที่เริ่มด้วยปรณีตา ปรณีตาถูกจดจำว่าเป็นห้าประการ เมื่อสอดประสานมือทั้งสองแล้ว พึงวางนิ้วหัวแม่มือไว้ตรงกลาง
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s ritual-encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Mudrā-lakṣaṇa for pūjā: forming Praṇītā mudrā (fivefold variants) by interlacing hands and placing thumbs centrally to seal mantra and direct ritual energy.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Praṇītā Mudrā (pañcadhā): hasta-bandha with central thumbs","lookup_keywords":["mudrā-lakṣaṇa","praṇītā","pañcadhā","karagraṭhita","aṅguṣṭha-madhya"],"quick_summary":"Defines the hand-configuration for Praṇītā mudrā: interlace both hands and set the thumbs in the middle; the tradition recognizes five variants used in worship sequences."}
Concept: Kriyā-śuddhi: correct bodily form (mudrā) supports mental steadiness and mantra-niyama, functioning as a ‘seal’ (bandha) in ritual action.
Application: Use Praṇītā mudrā at the prescribed points of pūjā/japa to maintain continuity of attention and standardize ritual performance.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra: Mudrā-lakṣaṇa (Ritual hand-gestures in worship)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Close-up of two hands interlaced (fingers woven), with both thumbs placed centrally; a sādhaka demonstrates the Praṇītā mudrā as part of a pūjā setup with lamp, flowers, and mantra text.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, enlarged hands in foreground showing interlaced fingers and central thumbs, ritual items stylized, warm ochre background, clear iconic outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, hands with gold-highlighted jewelry, central thumbs emphasized with gold emboss, pūjā lamp and flowers, rich saturated backdrop.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, step-by-step instructional depiction: hand pose centered, minimal distractions, fine linework, subtle shading, small caption-like space for ‘Praṇītā’.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined close-up of hands with delicate shading, prayer setting with manuscript and incense, precise gesture emphasized, patterned textile background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पञ्चधास्मृताः = पञ्चधा + स्मृताः; मध्ये 'ङ्गुष्ठौ = मध्ये + अङ्गुष्ठौ (avagraha).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 309 (mudrā section; preceding nyāsa/japa instructions)
FAQs
It teaches the hand-formation for the Praṇītā mudrā: interlace both hands and set the two thumbs at the center; it also notes that Praṇītā has five recognized variants.
Beyond mythology, the text catalogues practical ritual technologies—such as detailed mudrā mechanics—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of liturgy, tantra-inflected worship procedure, and temple/household pūjā technique.
Correct mudrā-formation is treated as a “seal” that stabilizes intention and mantra in pūjā, supporting ritual purity (śuddhi) and the efficacy (siddhi) of offerings and invocations.