Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 16
The Root-Mantra of Tvaritā
Tvaritā-mūla-mantra
विदर्भरिपुनामाथ श्मशानाङ्गारलेखितम् सप्ताहात्साधयेद्देशं ताडयेत् प्रेतभस्मना
vidarbharipunāmātha śmaśānāṅgāralekhitam saptāhātsādhayeddeśaṃ tāḍayet pretabhasmanā
Pagkaraan, isulat ang pangalan ng kaaway (ng Vidarbha) gamit ang uling mula sa pook ng pagsusunog ng bangkay; sa loob ng pitong araw ay pasasailalimin ang lupain; at hampasin (ang target/anyo) ng abo ng yumao.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Abhichāra-prayoga for coercion/vaśīkaraṇa: writing the target’s name with śmaśānāṅgāra and using preta-bhasma in a striking rite to subdue a region/person within a fixed time-window (7 days).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śmaśānāṅgāra-lekhana & Preta-bhasma-tāḍana (Vaśīkaraṇa)","lookup_keywords":["abhichara","shmashana-angara","preta-bhasma","vidarbha-ripu","saptaha-sadhana"],"quick_summary":"A coercive rite: inscribe the enemy’s name with cremation charcoal and perform a striking action with corpse-ashes to effect control within seven days; framed as a time-bound sādhana."}
Concept: Mantra-tantra as operative power (kriyā-śakti) applied through liminal substances (śmaśāna materials) and name-inscription.
Application: Operational ritual logic: name (nāma) + medium (aṅgāra) + contact/impact (tāḍana) + fixed duration (saptāha) to produce intended coercive effect.
Khanda Section: Abhichara-Mantra / Tantra-Prayoga (Protective and coercive rites)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cremation-ground rite: a practitioner inscribes an enemy’s name with black charcoal on a ritual surface/effigy, then performs a striking gesture using grey-white ash, counting days of sādhana.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, nocturnal śmaśāna setting with stylized flames and banyan silhouettes, a sādhaka in traditional attire writing a name with black aṅgāra on a yantra/effigy, holding a small ash-bowl, dramatic but flat iconic composition, earthy reds and blacks","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work, central seated sādhaka before a ritual plank, ornate borders, small stylized cremation-ground elements at sides, emphasis on ritual implements (charcoal stylus, ash vessel), rich reds and greens with gold highlights","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional depiction: close view of writing the name with charcoal on a diagram/effigy, labeled implements, subdued palette, delicate linework, calm didactic layout despite grim setting","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed night scene at cremation ground with attendants, the practitioner writing on paper/cloth with charcoal, ash being applied to an effigy, fine architectural/landscape detailing, muted blues and greys with precise brushwork"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"intense","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विदर्भरिपुनामाथ = विदर्भरिपुनाम् + अथ; श्मशानाङ्गारलेखितम् = श्मशान-अङ्गार-लेखितम्; सप्ताहात्साधयेद्देशं = सप्ताहात् + साधयेत् + देशम्; ताडयेत् प्रेतभस्मना = ताडयेत् + प्रेत-भस्मना
Related Themes: Agni Purana 311 (Abhichāra/yantra-netra/mantra-prayoga cluster)
FAQs
It teaches an abhichāra (coercive/subjugation) procedure: inscribing an enemy’s name with cremation-ground charcoal and performing a seven-day sādhana, including striking with preta-ash as a forceful ritual act.
Alongside dharma, polity, medicine, and poetics, the Agni Purana also records specialized ritual technologies (tantric/abhichāra prayogas), showing its scope as a compendium of practical and esoteric disciplines.
The verse reflects a tamasic, coercive ritual orientation using impure/liminal substances (śmaśāna, preta-bhasma), traditionally treated as spiritually risky and requiring strict ritual constraints; it is framed as a means of control rather than purification.