Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 14
Chapter 68 — यात्रोत्सवविधिकथनं
Account of the Procedure for the Processional Festival / Yātrā-Utsava Vidhi
स्नापयित्वा समभ्यर्च्य यात्राविम्बं रथे स्थितं नयेद्गुरुर् नदीर्नादैश्छत्राद्यै राष्ट्रपालिकाः
snāpayitvā samabhyarcya yātrāvimbaṃ rathe sthitaṃ nayedgurur nadīrnādaiśchatrādyai rāṣṭrapālikāḥ
ครั้นสรงน้ำและบูชาโดยชอบแล้ว ครูพึงนำ “ยาตราวิมพะ” ที่ประดิษฐานบนรถออกแห่ เหล่าผู้พิทักษ์แผ่นดินพึงดำเนินนำหน้าพร้อมฉัตรและเครื่องราชูปโภคอื่น ๆ ด้วยเสียงโห่กึกก้องดุจสายน้ำเชี่ยว
Lord Agni (instructional narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Puja-vidhi","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Protocol for utsava-yātrā: after snāna and arcana, place the yātrā-vimba on a ratha and conduct procession with royal/administrative support, parasols, and loud celebratory sounds.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Utsava-yātrā: ratha-sthita yātrā-vimba procession with chatra and nāda","lookup_keywords":["yātrā-vimba","ratha","utsava-yātrā","chatra","nāda"],"quick_summary":"Festival worship culminates in a chariot procession of the festival icon, led by the officiating guru and supported by royal protectors with parasols and ceremonial music/noise."}
Concept: Deity worship extends to community space; dharma includes public celebration under protection of righteous governance.
Application: Coordinate temple, artisans, musicians, and civic authorities for safe, orderly festival processions.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Utsava-yatra-vidhi (Processional worship and festival icon-journey rites)
Primary Rasa: Utsaha
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand chariot carrying the festival icon moves through streets; the guru leads; royal officials flank with parasols and banners; drums and conches create a roaring, river-like sound; crowds watch in devotion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, wide procession scene with ratha, deity icon under canopy, parasols, drummers and conch blowers, flowing crowd composition like a river, saturated traditional colors","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central ratha with gold embellishments, deity icon richly jeweled, large white parasols, attendants and musicians, gold leaf highlights on ornaments and chariot panels","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative clarity: guru at front, ratha with icon, officials with chatra, musicians; architectural street elements rendered neatly, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling urban procession with detailed costumes, parasols, banners, chariot wheels, layered crowd, fine architectural facades and rhythmic placement of musicians"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nayed gurur: nayet + guruḥ (t→d before g; visarga loss). nadīr nādaiḥ: nadīn + nādaiḥ (n→r sandhi in text). nādaiś chatra-ādyaiḥ: nādaiḥ + chatra-ādyaiḥ (ḥ→ś before c).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 68 (utsava preliminaries: snāna, arcana, yātrā procedures)
FAQs
It gives the procedural sequence for a temple festival procession (yātrā): first abhiṣeka/snāpana and full worship (arcana), then placing the utsava icon on a chariot and conducting the public yātrā with auspicious music and royal emblems.
Alongside theology, it preserves operational details of public temple culture—how clergy (guru) and state functionaries (rāṣṭra-pālikāḥ) coordinate civic-religious processions, showing the text’s coverage of ritual practice and governance.
Bathing and worship before the yātrā emphasizes purification and proper consecration; conducting the deity’s procession with auspicious sound and honorific insignia is treated as a meritorious public act that sanctifies the community and reinforces dharma.