Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 4
Sūrya-pratiṣṭhā-kathana
Account of Installing Sūrya
शक्त्या च सर्वतोमुख्या संस्थाप्य विधिवततः स्वाणुना विधिवत् सूर्यं शक्त्यन्तं स्थापयेद्गुरुः
śaktyā ca sarvatomukhyā saṃsthāpya vidhivatataḥ svāṇunā vidhivat sūryaṃ śaktyantaṃ sthāpayedguruḥ
ครั้นสถาปนา “ศักติผู้หันสู่ทุกทิศ” (sarvatomukhī Śakti) โดยชอบแล้ว อาจารย์พึงใช้มือของตนสถาปนา “สุริยะ” ผู้ประกอบด้วยศักติ ตามพิธีบัญญัติ
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Pratiṣṭhā protocol for installing Śakti (sarvatomukhī) and then establishing Sūrya as Śakti-yukta in a shrine or icon.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sarvatomukhī-Śakti and Sūrya Pratiṣṭhā (Śakti-yukta)","lookup_keywords":["sarvatomukhī-śakti","pratiṣṭhā","sūrya-sthāpana","guru-kriyā","śaktiyukta"],"quick_summary":"Install the all-facing Śakti first, then the guru establishes Sūrya together with Śakti, emphasizing power-aspect integration in the consecrated form."}
Concept: Deity is established as śakti-śaktimat unity; Śakti is not ancillary but the enabling principle of manifestation and efficacy.
Application: In installation rites, sequence matters: empower the field (Śakti) before fixing the deity-form, ensuring ritual ‘prāṇa’ and directional completeness.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Pratishtha and Murti-sthapana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A guru consecrates an all-facing Śakti emblem/yantra, then installs a radiant Sūrya icon with Śakti presence, with ritual vessels, lamps, and directional markers around.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Sūrya with radiant halo seated on lotus, Śakti as multi-faced/directional aura around, guru performing āvāhana, temple interior with lamps, bold outlines and flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, Sūrya icon with large gold halo and embossed rays, Śakti represented as ornate yantra behind, heavy gold work on jewelry and aureoles, symmetrical consecration scene with guru at base.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined depiction of installation steps: Śakti-yantra placed first, then Sūrya murti set on pedestal, labeled ritual items (kalasha, arghya), soft colors and precise detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly shrine setting, guru placing Sūrya idol on a plinth, attendants holding parasols and trays, intricate textiles, delicate sun-rays rendered in gold paint."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sthāpayedguruḥ = sthāpayet + guruḥ (final -t before g becomes -d by sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 99 (Sūrya-related installation context); Agni Purana 100 (pratiṣṭhā expansions)
FAQs
It prescribes a consecration step: first installing the sarvatomukhī form of Śakti, then ritually establishing Sūrya as Śakti-endowed, performed personally by the officiating guru according to injunction.
It exemplifies the text’s procedural coverage of temple and image-installation rites (pratiṣṭhā), detailing sequencing (Śakti first, then the deity) and the authorized agent (guru), alongside broader topics elsewhere in the Purana.
Correct installation aligns the deity with sacred power (Śakti), ensuring the rite’s efficacy and purity; adherence to vidhi is traditionally held to confer merit and to stabilize auspicious divine presence in the installed form.