Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 42
Chapter 61 — द्वारप्रतिष्ठाध्वजारोहाणादिविधिः
Gateway Installation, Flag Hoisting, and Allied Rites
तच्छक्तिं व्यापिनीं ध्यायेद् ध्वजरूपां बलाबलां मण्डपे स्थाप्य चाभ्यर्च्य होमं कुण्डेषु कारयेत्
tacchaktiṃ vyāpinīṃ dhyāyed dhvajarūpāṃ balābalāṃ maṇḍape sthāpya cābhyarcya homaṃ kuṇḍeṣu kārayet
พึงเพ่งภาวนาถึงศักติอันแผ่ซ่านทั่ว ที่ปรากฏเป็นรูปธง เป็นผู้ประทานพลังและขจัดความอ่อนแอ แล้วสถาปนาไว้ในมณฑป บูชาโดยชอบธรรม และให้ประกอบโหมะในกุณฑะทั้งหลาย
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating Agni Purana’s ritual sections to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Śakti-dhyāna as dhvaja, installation in maṇḍapa, worship, and performance of homa in kuṇḍas for empowerment, protection, and removal of weakness in ritual/temple settings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śakti as Dhvaja: Maṇḍapa-sthāpana, Pūjā, and Kuṇḍa-homa","lookup_keywords":["śakti-dhyāna","dhvaja-rūpa","maṇḍapa-sthāpana","homa","kuṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Meditate on the all-pervading Śakti visualized as a banner that grants strength and dispels weakness; install and worship it in the maṇḍapa, then complete the rite with homa in the fire-pits."}
Weapon Type: Dhvaja (standard) as power-symbol
Concept: Vyāpinī-Śakti: power as all-pervading, made ritually accessible through form (dhvaja), worship, and homa as transformative action.
Application: Combine dhyāna (inner), arcana (outer worship), and homa (fire-transmutation) to cultivate steadiness, courage, and ritual efficacy.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Tantra-vidhi (Shakti-dhyana, Dhvaja-sthapana, Homa-prayoga)
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Ritual pavilion (maṇḍapa)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a decorated maṇḍapa, a banner embodying Śakti is installed and worshipped; nearby, multiple fire-pits blaze as priests perform homa, offering ghee and samidhs while chanting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, vibrant maṇḍapa with hanging festoons, central dhvaja as Śakti-symbol with radiant aura, multiple kuṇḍas with stylized flames, priests in white performing offerings, bold outlines and warm palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, richly ornamented pavilion, gold-embossed banner and lamps, blazing kuṇḍa with gold highlights, priests offering ghee, heavy gold work on borders and ritual vessels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear ritual layout: maṇḍapa plan with dhvaja position, kuṇḍas arranged, priests performing homa step-by-step, fine lines and soft shading for instructional readability.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly pavilion with patterned carpets, banner standard at center, several fire altars with delicate flame rendering, attendants holding ladles and bowls, detailed textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तच्छक्तिं = तत् + शक्तिम्; ध्यायेद् = ध्यायेत् (before voiced consonant); ध्वजरूपां = ध्वज + रूपाम्; बलाबलां = बल + अबलाम्; चाभ्यर्च्य = च + अभ्यर्च्य.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 61 (dhvaja-sthāpana and homa sequence); Agni Purana homa-prayoga passages elsewhere (general fire-offering procedures)
FAQs
It prescribes a sequence of ritual operations: Śakti-dhyāna (meditation on the invoked power), dhvaja-rūpa visualization, dhvaja/śakti-sthāpana in a maṇḍapa, formal worship (abhyarcana), and homa performed in one or more kuṇḍas.
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual manuals—detailing implement-based worship (dhvaja), spatial setup (maṇḍapa), and liturgical action (homa in kuṇḍas)—showing how the Agni Purana functions not only as mythic narration but also as a procedural handbook for rites.
By installing and worshipping the all-pervading Śakti and sealing the rite through homa, the practitioner seeks purification and empowerment—symbolically converting intention (dhyāna) into consecrated action (pūjā and oblations), associated with removal of weakness and stabilization of spiritual force.