Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 17
Utpāta-śānti
Pacification of Portents
न दीप्यते चेन्धनवांस्तद्राष्ट्रं पाड्यते नृपैः अग्निवैकृत्यशमनमग्निमन्त्रैश् च भार्गव
na dīpyate cendhanavāṃstadrāṣṭraṃ pāḍyate nṛpaiḥ agnivaikṛtyaśamanamagnimantraiś ca bhārgava
หากมีเชื้อเพลิงแล้วไฟยังไม่ลุก แว่นแคว้นนั้นย่อมถูกราชาทั้งหลายเบียดเบียน; โอ้ ภารควะ การระงับความวิปริตแห่งไฟพึงกระทำด้วยมนตร์แห่งอัคนี
Lord Agni (instructing a Bhārgava sage within the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Jyotisha","practical_application":"Diagnosing political misfortune through fire-omens and applying Agni-mantras as śānti to normalize ritual fire behavior and avert royal harassment.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Agni-vaikṛtya-śamana by Agni-mantras","lookup_keywords":["agni-vaikṛtya","fire-omen","agni-mantra","rāṣṭra-doṣa","śānti-kalpa"],"quick_summary":"If a fueled fire fails to ignite properly, it is read as a sign of impending political affliction. The remedy is a pacificatory rite employing Agni-mantras to remove the abnormality and stabilize the realm."}
Concept: The king’s dharma and the realm’s stability are reflected in cosmic/ritual indicators; correcting ritual disorder supports social order.
Application: In royal rituals, treat persistent fire failure as a governance alarm; perform Agni-mantra śānti alongside practical statecraft measures.
Khanda Section: Agni-vidya / Shanti-kalpa (Fire-omens and pacificatory rites)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual fire-pit piled with fuel refuses to blaze; priests and a concerned royal figure observe. A later scene shows chanting of Agni-mantras to pacify the abnormal fire-omen.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yajña scene with dim, stubborn fire despite fuel, anxious yet composed priests, then Agni-mantra chanting with renewed sacred aura, earthy reds and lamp-lit shadows","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Agni deity invoked above the kuṇḍa with gold radiance, king and purohita present, contrast between dull embers and divine golden flame as śānti succeeds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional layout of kuṇḍa and samidh arrangement, priest reciting Agni-mantras with rosary, gradual ignition depicted in sequential visual cues","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court ritual with detailed textiles and vessels, a strangely unlit fire-pit, courtiers whispering, priest chanting to restore flame, architectural finesse"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grave","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cendhanavān = ca + indhanavān. tadrāṣṭram = tat + rāṣṭram. agnivaikṛtyaśamanamagnimantraiḥ = agni-vaikṛtya-śamanam + agni-mantraiḥ (अम् + अ = अ).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 262 (Agni-vidyā, śānti-kalpa sequence)
FAQs
It teaches omen-reading and remedy: a fire that fails to blaze despite adequate fuel is treated as an inauspicious agni-vaikṛtya, to be pacified through Agni-specific mantra recitation (śamana with agni-mantras).
It links ritual diagnostics (omens from fire behavior) with statecraft outcomes (political affliction of a kingdom) and prescribes a practical shanti procedure, showing how the text integrates divination/portents, governance (rāṣṭra, nṛpa), and mantra-ritual technology.
By performing Agni-mantra śamana for an inauspicious fire-sign, one ritually restores auspiciousness and order (ṛta) in the realm, mitigating harmful outcomes indicated by the omen and supporting collective welfare.