Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 2
Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā-kathana
Account of Installing Sūrya
विद्यामासनशय्यायां साङ्गं विन्यस्य भास्करं त्रितत्त्वं विन्यसेत्तत्र सस्वरं खादिपञ्चकं
vidyāmāsanaśayyāyāṃ sāṅgaṃ vinyasya bhāskaraṃ tritattvaṃ vinyasettatra sasvaraṃ khādipañcakaṃ
บนอาสนะ/แท่นบรรทมแห่งวิทยา เมื่อกระทำนยาสะแห่งองค์ประกอบ (อังคะ-นยาสะ) แด่ภาสกรแล้ว พึงวางตริ-ตัตตวะไว้ ณ ที่นั้น ต่อจากนั้นพึงประดิษฐานหมวดห้าขึ้นต้นด้วย ‘ขะ’ (ขาทิ-ปัญจกะ) พร้อมทั้งสระด้วย
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in ritual procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā nyāsa sequence: aṅga-nyāsa of Bhāskara on the vidyā-āsana/śayyā, then tri-tattva installation, then vowel-inclusive khādi-pañcaka varṇa-nyāsa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bhāskara Aṅga-nyāsa with Tri-tattva and Khādi-pañcaka Varṇa-nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["bhāskara-aṅga-nyāsa","vidyā-āsana","tri-tattva","khādi-pañcaka","svara"],"quick_summary":"On the ritual seat of the Vidyā, perform Sūrya’s aṅga-nyāsa, install the tri-tattva framework, then place the khādi five consonants together with vowels—completing a structured mantra-body for the deity."}
Concept: Deity embodiment is constructed through ordered placements: limb-nyāsa (aṅga), principle-nyāsa (tattva), and phoneme-nyāsa (varṇa with svara).
Application: For Sūrya installation, follow the layered nyāsa logic—body (aṅga) → principles (tri-tattva) → phonemes (svara + khādi)—to avoid incomplete consecration.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa-Mantra-Vidhi / Tantric-ritual placements)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual couch/seat labeled ‘Vidyā-āsana’; the priest performs aṅga-nyāsa gestures for Sūrya, then places three principle-symbols (tri-tattva) and finally inscribes/visualizes vowels and the khādi five letters around the seat/icon.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Sūrya as radiant disc-personified above the vidyā-āsana; priest doing aṅga-nyāsa; tri-tattva shown as three glowing emblems; akṣaras (vowels + kha-ga-gha-ṅa-ca) arranged in a mandala-like ring.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, golden Sūrya with intense halo; vidyā-āsana richly ornamented; akṣaras embossed in gold around the border; priest in profile performing nyāsa; jewel-toned offerings.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, schematic clarity: seat/couch, stepwise nyāsa actions, tri-tattva icons, and neatly written akṣaras with vowels; soft gradients and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, ritualist seated before a low couch-altar; delicate calligraphy of vowels and khādi letters on a panel; tri-tattva symbols placed as small luminous objects; architectural niche with sun motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Suryakant","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विद्यामासनशय्यायां is treated as a dvandva-locus compound; विन्यसेत्तत्र → विन्यसेत् + तत्र.
Related Themes: Agni Purana ch.99 Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā sequence (continuation); Agni Purana nyāsa explanations in ch.98 (kriyā-śakti/jñāna placements)
FAQs
It teaches a specific nyāsa sequence: install Bhāskara with aṅga-nyāsa on the ritual seat, then place the tri-tattva triad, and finally perform varṇa-related placement involving the vowels and the khādi-pañcaka (a five-letter phonemic set).
Beyond narrative theology, it preserves precise liturgical technology—mantra-aṅga nyāsa and phonemic (varṇa) installations—showing the text’s coverage of practical ritual manuals alongside broader Purāṇic subjects.
By correctly installing the deity/mantra through ordered nyāsa (aṅga, tattva, and varṇa), the practitioner is understood to purify the body-mind as a ritual locus, stabilize mantra-power, and make the worship efficacious and merit-bearing.