Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
Chapter 164: नवग्रहहोमः
Navagraha Fire-Offering
सुवर्णैर् वायजेल्लिख्य गन्धमण्डलकेषु वा यथावर्णं प्रदेयानि वासांसि कुसुमानि च
suvarṇair vāyajellikhya gandhamaṇḍalakeṣu vā yathāvarṇaṃ pradeyāni vāsāṃsi kusumāni ca
以黄金书写（形相/字母）之后——或在芬芳的曼荼罗之中——应依所规定的颜色，奉献衣服与花鬘作为供养。
Lord Agni (in dialogue with sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Mandala-based pūjā procedure: inscribing forms/letters with gold or within scented mandalas, then offering color-correspondent garments and flowers to deities/grahas.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Suvarṇa-lekhana and Gandha-maṇḍala Upacāra (color-coded offerings)","lookup_keywords":["maṇḍala","suvarṇa-lekhana","gandha-maṇḍala","vastra-dāna","yathāvarṇa-pūjā"],"quick_summary":"Gives a ritual method: write/inscribe with gold (or in scented mandalas) and present garments and flowers matching prescribed colors—useful for standardized deity/graha worship and vow-rites."}
Concept: External correspondences (varṇa, gandha, lekhana) discipline attention and align worshipper with devatā/graha energies.
Application: Design a pūjā setup with correct color offerings; use scented mandala as accessible alternative when gold inscription is not feasible.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dāna–Vrata and Maṇḍala-ritual procedures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scented mandala drawn on the ground, with golden inscriptions at its center; neatly arranged piles of color-matched garments and flowers offered around the mandala in a ritual sequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, top-down mandala with fragrant paste rings, gold script at center, attendants placing colored cloths and flowers, lamp and conch nearby, bold outlines and warm palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central mandala with gold-highlighted inscriptions, richly patterned garments in distinct colors laid as offerings, heavy gold work and ornamental frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional composition showing mandala layers, labeled color offerings (white/red/yellow/blue/black as applicable), delicate linework, calm background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, indoor ritual scene with a mandala on a carpet, gold calligraphy, trays of flowers and folded garments in varied colors, fine architectural details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: suvarṇair → suvarṇaiḥ; vāyajellikhya → vā + yajet + likhya (orthographic fusion); gandhamaṇḍalakeṣu → gandha-maṇḍalakeṣu; yathāvarṇaṃ → yathā-varṇam (avyayībhāva).
Related Themes: Agni Purana pūjā-vidhi sections on maṇḍala, dāna, and upacāra (around 164.4–164.5)
FAQs
It prescribes a maṇḍala-based worship method: inscribe the required forms using gold (or perform the rite within a scented maṇḍala) and offer color-correspondent cloth and flowers as upacāras.
It exemplifies the text’s practical ritual manual style—detailing materials (gold, fragrances), ritual technology (maṇḍala), and offering protocols (color-matched items), alongside its many other domains.
Correctly executed, color-appropriate offerings within a consecrated maṇḍala are presented as a merit-producing (puṇya) act that refines worship through precision, purity, and devotional completeness.