Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 28
Explanation of the Vāsudeva and Related Mantras (वासुदेवादिमन्त्रनिरूपणम्)
ॐ परास्त्रादित्यनामात्मा इति घ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः एवं व्यूहादिषड्विंशं व्यूहात्तस्यात्मनो मनुरिति ख, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः अग्निं द्विमूर्तौ इति ख, चिह्नितपुस्त्कपाठः तलस्थः सप्तमश् चैव इति ङ, चिह्नितपुस्तकपाठः देहे शिरोललाटास्यहृद्गुह्याङ्ग्रिषु संस्थितः अग्निष्ठोमस्तथोक्थस्तु षोडशी वाजपेयकः
oṃ parāstrādityanāmātmā iti gha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ evaṃ vyūhādiṣaḍviṃśaṃ vyūhāttasyātmano manuriti kha, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ agniṃ dvimūrtau iti kha, cihnitapustkapāṭhaḥ talasthaḥ saptamaś caiva iti ṅa, cihnitapustakapāṭhaḥ dehe śirolalāṭāsyahṛdguhyāṅgriṣu saṃsthitaḥ agniṣṭhomastathokthastu ṣoḍaśī vājapeyakaḥ
بدن میں وہ سر، پیشانی، منہ، دل، گُہْیَہ مقام اور پاؤں میں مستقر ہے—اگنِشٹوم، اُکثیہ، شوڈشی اور واجپَیَہ کے روپ میں۔ (سابقہ فقروں میں بعض مخطوطات کے اختلافِ قراءت کی نشان دہی ہے۔)
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating the Agni Purana to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Ritual body-mapping of śrauta sacrifices as inner fires: place Agni’s sacrificial forms at specific body loci for nyāsa/dhyāna, integrating Vedic yajña symbolism into personal sādhana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Agni’s Śrauta-Yajña Forms Installed in the Body (Śiras–Lalāṭa–Āsya–Hṛd–Guhya–Aṅghri)","lookup_keywords":["Agniṣṭoma","Ukthya","Ṣoḍaśin","Vājapeya","deha-nyāsa"],"quick_summary":"The verse correlates major śrauta sacrifices with bodily stations, presenting Agni as an inner sacrificial principle distributed across key loci. It also preserves manuscript-variant notes, indicating a living ritual transmission."}
Concept: Bandhu (correspondence) between macro-ritual (śrauta yajña) and microcosm (body): Agni is internalized as structured sacrificial presence.
Application: For contemplative yajña: visualize Agni at head/forehead/mouth/heart/guhya/feet while reciting associated names, cultivating disciplined awareness of speech, desire, vitality, and action as offerings.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Vedic ritual identifications and nyāsa-style body-locations of sacrificial forms)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A human figure as a ritual map: head, forehead, mouth, heart, guhya, and feet marked with flames or yajña symbols; labels of Agniṣṭoma, Ukthya, Ṣoḍaśin, Vājapeya indicating Agni’s sacrificial forms within the body; marginal notes hinting manuscript variants.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, standing figure with stylized flame motifs at six loci, Sanskrit labels for śiras, lalāṭa, āsya, hṛd, guhya, aṅghri, and yajña names, bold colors, temple-ritual aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central figure with gold-embossed flames at body points, ornate yajña implements (ladle, altar) in corners, gold leaf highlighting the loci, rich maroons and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, technical instructional painting: clean anatomical silhouette with precise locus markers and Devanagari labels, small vignettes of Soma-yāga altars beside corresponding loci, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-priest annotating a folio showing a human diagram with flame points and yajña names, delicate borders, fine calligraphy, subtle wash flames"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: This item contains extensive critical apparatus (variant readings) which are not part of the main syntactic verse; analyzed the main readable pāda: ‘dehe śiro-lalāṭa-āsya-hṛd-guhya-aṅghriṣu saṃsthitaḥ …’. śiro+lalāṭa+āsya+hṛd+guhya+aṅghriṣu resolved into separate locatives: śirasi, lalāṭe, āsye, hṛdi, guhye, aṅgriṣu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana ritual-identification passages (Agneya-vidyā); Agni Purana nyāsa and pūjā-vidhi sections adjoining 25.27
FAQs
It teaches a ritual-anatomical correspondence: major Soma-sacrifices (Agniṣṭoma, Ukthya, Ṣoḍaśin, Vājapeya) are contemplated as forms of Agni ‘seated’ in specific bodily loci, supporting nyāsa-like internalization of yajña.
It compresses Vedic śrauta ritual taxonomy (named Soma-yajñas) into a devotional/meditative framework (body-location mapping), showing how the Agni Purana bridges technical ritual science with internal worship practices.
By internalizing the yajña as present in one’s own body, the practitioner treats worship as continuous and embodied, aiming at purification and merit (puṇya) through disciplined remembrance of Agni as the inner sacrificial fire.