Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 164: नवग्रहहोमः
Navagraha Fire-Offering
ताम्रकात् स्फटिकाद्रक्तचन्दनात् स्वर्णर्कादुभौ रजतादयसः शीशात् ग्रहाः कार्याः क्रमादिमे
tāmrakāt sphaṭikādraktacandanāt svarṇarkādubhau rajatādayasaḥ śīśāt grahāḥ kāryāḥ kramādime
Những tượng (hình) của các Graha này nên được chế tác theo đúng thứ tự từ các chất liệu sau: từ đồng, từ pha lê (sphaṭika), từ gỗ đàn hương đỏ, từ vàng, từ gỗ arka—cho cả hai (vị trong cặp), rồi từ bạc, từ sắt và từ chì.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Shilpa","practical_application":"Selection of correct materials for crafting navagraha-pratimās used in graha-śānti, pūjā, dāna, and installation in mandalas/altars.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Navagraha-pratimā-dravya-vidhi (materials for planetary icons)","lookup_keywords":["graha-pratimā","tāmra sphaṭika","rakta-candana","suvarṇa rajata","ayas sīsa"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes the canonical substances for making planetary images in sequence—metal, crystal, woods—supporting standardized ritual manufacture for graha propitiation."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy depends on dravya-śuddhi and prescribed correspondences between deity-function and material.
Application: Guide artisans/priests in procuring correct metals/woods for navagraha sets used in śānti and dāna.
Khanda Section: Jyotisha (Graha-pratima-nirmana / planetary icons in ritual-astrology)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An artisan’s workshop displaying nine small planetary icons with labeled materials: copper, crystal, red sandalwood, gold, arka-wood pair, silver, iron, lead; arranged in ritual order on a cloth beside tools and a small altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style depiction of a craftsman presenting navagraha icons on a wooden plank, each icon colored to suggest its material (copper sheen, crystal white, red sandalwood), minimal depth, bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of nine pratimās on a ceremonial tray, gold leaf emphasizing suvarṇa icon, embossed textures for metals, ornate floral border, temple lamp glow","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional tableau: nine icons in a row with Sanskrit labels of materials (tāmra, sphaṭika, rakta-candana, suvarṇa, arka, rajata, ayas, sīsa), soft pastel background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature workshop scene with artisan and priest consulting a list, finely rendered metallic reflections on icons, shelves of raw materials (ingots, wood pieces), detailed textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sphaṭikādraktacandanāt → sphaṭikāt + rakta-candanāt; svarṇarkādubhau → svarṇa-arkāt + ubhau; rajatādayasaḥ śīśāt → rajatāt + ayasaḥ + śīśāt (series of ablatives).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Jyotiṣa-khaṇḍa: graha-śānti, dāna, and pratimā-nirmāṇa passages near 164.3–164.5
FAQs
It prescribes the correct materials (metals/woods/crystal) and an ordered sequence for crafting graha-pratimās (planetary icons) used in Jyotiṣa-based rites such as graha-śānti and remedial worship.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana catalogues practical, technical know-how—here, ritual-astrological iconography—linking planetary worship to specified substances (metals, crystal, sacred woods) as a procedural manual for practitioners.
Using prescribed substances for graha icons is treated as a correctness condition (vidhi) that supports effective graha-śānti: it aims at pacifying adverse planetary influences and promoting purification, auspiciousness, and steadiness of merit (puṇya).