Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 305 — Narasiṃha and Related Mantras (नारसिंहादिमन्त्राः)
हेमगैरिकया कृष्णा प्रतिमा हैमसूचिभिः जप्त्वा विध्येच्च तत्कण्ठे हृदि वा मियते रिपुः
hemagairikayā kṛṣṇā pratimā haimasūcibhiḥ japtvā vidhyecca tatkaṇṭhe hṛdi vā miyate ripuḥ
Pagkatapos ng pagbigkas ng mantra, butasin ng mga karayom na ginto ang isang itim na imahen (inihanda sa hema-gairikā, pulang okra); butasin sa lalamunan ng kaaway o sa puso; mamamatay ang kalaban.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Marana-oriented abhichāra using a prepared effigy (pratimā) and mantra-śakti, employing symbolic piercing at vital points (kaṇṭha/hṛd).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pratimā-vidhana with hema-sūci (needle-piercing marana prayoga)","lookup_keywords":["pratimā","hema-sūci","kaṇṭha-vedha","hṛd-vedha","maraṇa"],"quick_summary":"After japa, a blackened effigy made with red ochre is pierced with golden needles at the throat or heart to effect the foe’s death—an effigy-based hostile rite."}
Concept: Pratikṛti-nyāya (sympathetic linkage): action on a ritually charged representation is asserted to transmit effect to the target when empowered by mantra.
Application: Ritual sequencing: japa → pratimā preparation/blackening → hema-sūci piercing at designated marma-like points (throat/heart).
Khanda Section: Isana-kalpa / Abhichara (Tantric rites and hostile rites)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist holds a small blackened effigy and pierces it with fine golden needles at the throat and heart while reciting a mantra; the target is implied in a shadowed background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: bold outlines, dramatic chiaroscuro, sādhaka with japamālā, black effigy in hand, golden needles emphasized, intense raudra mood, minimal but symbolic background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central effigy and golden needles rendered with heavy gold leaf accents, ritualist seated on a pedestal, ornate borders, icon-like stillness despite hostile theme.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise depiction of materials—red ochre paste, blackened pratimā, slender gold needles; calm instructional composition with labeled throat/heart points.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: close interior scene with detailed textiles and tools, the effigy on a small tray, golden needles glinting, subtle narrative inset of the foe weakening."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"fierce","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विध्येच्च = विध्येत् + च (त् + च → च्च).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Khanda 305 effigy-based abhichāra subsections; Adjacent utsādana/ucchāṭana powder-casting rites (305.4) as related hostile techniques
FAQs
It teaches an abhichāra-prayoga: preparing a darkened effigy using gairika and, after mantra-japa, ritually piercing it with golden needles at the target points (throat/heart) to effect the enemy’s destruction.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana catalogs applied ritual technologies—here, a specific tantric hostile rite using materials (ochre, gold needles), a procedure (japa → piercing), and target anatomy (throat/heart), illustrating its breadth of practical manuals.
As an abhichāra act aimed at harm, it is traditionally treated as a dangerous, ethically weighty rite requiring strict ritual control; misuse is generally understood to incur severe negative karmic consequences in dharma-oriented readings.