Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 6
Chapter 23 — पूजाविधिकथनम्
The Account of the Rules of Worship
शोधयित्वा न्यसेत्तत्त्वं करशुद्धिरथास्त्रकं व्यापकं हस्तयोरादौ दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठतोङ्गकं
śodhayitvā nyasettattvaṃ karaśuddhirathāstrakaṃ vyāpakaṃ hastayorādau dakṣiṇāṅguṣṭhatoṅgakaṃ
先净化双手，然后应安置（nyāsa）“真理要素”（tattva）。继而再行手部净化，并安置“武器咒”（astraka）。随后作“遍满安置”（vyāpaka）：起初于两手之上，自右手拇指开始，将咒安置于手与诸指的肢节要点处。
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Pūjā-vidhi: kara-śuddhi and aṅga/karanyāsa to ritually purify hands and install mantra-power before offerings and japa.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kara-śuddhi and Vyāpaka/Āstraka Nyāsa on the Hands","lookup_keywords":["karaśuddhi","karanyāsa","āstraka","vyāpaka","nyāsa"],"quick_summary":"After hand-purification, install tattva and the astra-mantra, then perform the vyāpaka-nyāsa across finger/joint points beginning from the right thumb on both hands to make the hands fit instruments of worship."}
Concept: Śarīra and karaṇa (hands) are made mantra-adhikṛta through nyāsa; purity is operationalized as correct placement and recollection.
Application: Use stepwise nyāsa as a checklist: karaśuddhi → tattva-nyāsa → āstraka → vyāpaka across finger-points, ensuring consistency before japa/pūjā.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Nyasa, Kara-śuddhi, Mantra-anga-vinyasa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist seated before a small altar, performing karanyāsa: touching thumb and finger-joints in sequence on both hands, with a water vessel and flowers nearby.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat warm palette, priest in white dhoti performing karanyāsa on both hands, small pūjā altar with lamp, conch, flowers; clear finger-point touches, sacred geometry border.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on altar lamp and vessels, priest performing nyāsa on hands, ornate arch motif behind, rich reds and greens, stylized lotuses and floral offerings.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework showing finger-joint sequence starting from right thumb, labeled limb-points implied, calm indoor shrine setting with vardhanī and pūjā items arranged symmetrically.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed hands and finger positions, low wooden platform altar, small vessels and flowers, delicate textiles, precise gesture depiction with marginal notes aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nyaset+tattvam→nyasettattvaṃ; karaśuddhiḥ+atha→karaśuddhirathā; dakṣiṇāṅguṣṭhataḥ+aṅgakam→dakṣiṇāṅguṣṭhatoṅgakaṃ; hastayoḥ+ādau→hastayorādau
Related Themes: Agni Purana 23 (Nyāsa, karaśuddhi, aṅganyāsa context)
FAQs
It teaches a stepwise nyāsa sequence: hand purification (kara-śuddhi), placement of tattva, application of the protective astraka-mantra, and the vyāpaka (all-pervading) nyāsa beginning from the right thumb across the hand’s limb-points.
Beyond mythology, it preserves precise ritual technology—manual-like instructions for mantra-installation (nyāsa) and protective ‘weapon’ mantras—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical pūjā-vidhi and tantric-liturgy procedures.
By purifying the hands and ritually ‘installing’ mantras, the practitioner sanctifies action itself (karma through the hands), establishes protection (astraka), and aligns the body-mind with the invoked tattva for a more efficacious and purified worship.