Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 8
Chapter 68 — यात्रोत्सवविधिकथनं
Account of the Procedure for the Processional Festival / Yātrā-Utsava Vidhi
तीर्थयात्रा तु या देव श्वः कर्तव्या सुरोत्तम तस्यारम्भमनुज्ञातुमर्हसे देव सर्वथा
tīrthayātrā tu yā deva śvaḥ kartavyā surottama tasyārambhamanujñātumarhase deva sarvathā
ข้าแต่เทพผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่เทพทั้งหลาย การจาริกสู่ทีรถะซึ่งจะกระทำพรุ่งนี้ ขอพระองค์โปรดประทานอนุญาตโดยสิ้นเชิงให้เริ่มพิธีนั้นเถิด.
A devotee/petitioner addressing a deity (contextually within Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue attributed to Lord Agni’s narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Before starting a pilgrimage-vrata, request divine permission (anujñā) for the commencement, framing the journey as a vowed act under divine sanction.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Anujñā-prārthanā for beginning a tīrtha-yātrā","lookup_keywords":["tīrtha-yātrā","anujñā","ārambha","prārthanā","vrata"],"quick_summary":"The pilgrim petitions the deity for permission to begin the next day’s tīrtha-yātrā. This establishes auspicious commencement and removes obstacles through acknowledged divine consent."}
Concept: Right commencement (ārambha) requires humility and alignment with divine order; intention is purified through prayerful permission-seeking.
Application: Before travel for religious purposes, perform a brief prayer seeking anujñā, then begin at an auspicious time with a steady vow-mindset.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-yatra & Vrata-vidhi (Pilgrimage rites and religious observances)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee addresses the deity with folded hands, requesting permission to begin a pilgrimage the next day; travel items and a simple vow-setup are visible nearby.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: devotee in añjali before a deity, background hints of river-ford imagery and travel path, lamps glowing, restrained palette, devotional stillness.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: deity enthroned with gold ornamentation; devotee kneeling with travel bundle and water pot, ornate arch, bright colors, gold leaf emphasizing divine authority granting anujñā.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional scene—devotee reciting anujñā-prārthanā, calendar/next-day indication, minimal temple interior, delicate lines and soft hues.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: refined interior with prayer scene; attendant holds a small travel satchel; distant landscape vignette suggests upcoming journey to tīrthas, fine detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्यारम्भम् = तस्य + आरम्भम्. आरम्भमनुज्ञातुमर्हसे = आरम्भम् + अनुज्ञातुम् + अर्हसे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Tīrtha-māhātmya and yātrā-vidhi passages (same khanda context); Agni Purana: Vrata-vidhi on ārambha, niyama, and anujñā
FAQs
It teaches the formal preliminaries of tīrtha-yātrā—seeking divine authorization (anujñā) before beginning the journey, a standard rule of ritual propriety (vidhi).
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana catalogues practical religious procedures; this verse exemplifies its manual-like guidance on how rites such as pilgrimage are properly initiated.
Beginning a pilgrimage with permission and reverence is presented as ensuring ritual correctness and safeguarding the intended merit (puṇya) of the tīrtha-yātrā.