Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 305 — Narasiṃha and Related Mantras (नारसिंहादिमन्त्राः)
हेमगैरिकया कृष्णा प्रतिमा हैमसूचिभिः जप्त्वा विध्येच्च तत्कण्ठे हृदि वा मियते रिपुः
hemagairikayā kṛṣṇā pratimā haimasūcibhiḥ japtvā vidhyecca tatkaṇṭhe hṛdi vā miyate ripuḥ
行持诵咒之后，以金针刺穿一尊熏黑之像（以hema-gairikā，即赤赭制成）；刺其敌之咽喉，或刺其心；则其敌命绝。
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Marana-oriented abhichāra using a prepared effigy (pratimā) and mantra-śakti, employing symbolic piercing at vital points (kaṇṭha/hṛd).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pratimā-vidhana with hema-sūci (needle-piercing marana prayoga)","lookup_keywords":["pratimā","hema-sūci","kaṇṭha-vedha","hṛd-vedha","maraṇa"],"quick_summary":"After japa, a blackened effigy made with red ochre is pierced with golden needles at the throat or heart to effect the foe’s death—an effigy-based hostile rite."}
Concept: Pratikṛti-nyāya (sympathetic linkage): action on a ritually charged representation is asserted to transmit effect to the target when empowered by mantra.
Application: Ritual sequencing: japa → pratimā preparation/blackening → hema-sūci piercing at designated marma-like points (throat/heart).
Khanda Section: Isana-kalpa / Abhichara (Tantric rites and hostile rites)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist holds a small blackened effigy and pierces it with fine golden needles at the throat and heart while reciting a mantra; the target is implied in a shadowed background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: bold outlines, dramatic chiaroscuro, sādhaka with japamālā, black effigy in hand, golden needles emphasized, intense raudra mood, minimal but symbolic background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central effigy and golden needles rendered with heavy gold leaf accents, ritualist seated on a pedestal, ornate borders, icon-like stillness despite hostile theme.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise depiction of materials—red ochre paste, blackened pratimā, slender gold needles; calm instructional composition with labeled throat/heart points.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: close interior scene with detailed textiles and tools, the effigy on a small tray, golden needles glinting, subtle narrative inset of the foe weakening."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"fierce","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विध्येच्च = विध्येत् + च (त् + च → च्च).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Khanda 305 effigy-based abhichāra subsections; Adjacent utsādana/ucchāṭana powder-casting rites (305.4) as related hostile techniques
FAQs
It teaches an abhichāra-prayoga: preparing a darkened effigy using gairika and, after mantra-japa, ritually piercing it with golden needles at the target points (throat/heart) to effect the enemy’s destruction.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana catalogs applied ritual technologies—here, a specific tantric hostile rite using materials (ochre, gold needles), a procedure (japa → piercing), and target anatomy (throat/heart), illustrating its breadth of practical manuals.
As an abhichāra act aimed at harm, it is traditionally treated as a dangerous, ethically weighty rite requiring strict ritual control; misuse is generally understood to incur severe negative karmic consequences in dharma-oriented readings.