Agnipurana 24

English (machine translation) 24

Language: English

24.7 — 3 parts
24.17 — 2 parts
24.28 — 3 parts
24.39 — 5 parts
24.49 — 5 parts
24.59 — 5 parts

24.1

Nārada said: / I shall explain the fire-rite by which one attains all desires: / a square of twenty-four finger-breadths.

24.2

Having measured the area with a cord, one should dig it evenly to that extent. / Leaving [a border of] two finger-breadths, the belt of the excavated [pit] is to be made.

24.3

Designated as sattva and the like, [the tiers] in the eastern direction are twelve finger-breadths high, / eight finger-breadths, [and] two finger-breadths; and [each is] four finger-breadths wide.

24.4

The beautiful yoni is ten finger-breadths [wide], its tip measuring six, four, and two finger-breadths; / it should be made gradually sloping and situated in the western direction.

24.5

Resembling an aśvattha leaf, it is placed slightly into the fire-pit; / it extends four finger-breadths, and its neck extends fifteen finger-breadths.

24.6

The base of the yoni is three finger-breadths; its tip is six finger-breadths. / This is the characteristic of [a pit of] one cubit; in those of two cubits and so forth, it is doubled.

24.7

I shall describe the fire-pit with one or three belts, circular and of other shapes.

24.7.p2

1 The manuscript marked "kha" reads "sadmādisañjñā".

24.7.p3

2 The manuscript marked "ga" reads "malantu dvyaṅgulam".

24.7_2

A cord placed across half of the fire-pit, which projects beyond the corner—

24.8

having placed half of that in the [cardinal] direction and rotated it, a circle will be produced. / Placing half the fire-pit plus half the corner segment outside in the northern direction,

24.9

carefully marking it from east to west, and having fixed and rotated it from the center, / an auspicious crescent-shaped fire-pit will be produced.

24.10

In a lotus-shaped [pit] there should be petals, and in a circular one [there should be] belts. / For the fire oblation, one should make a sruc measuring the length of an arm.

24.11

Or one may make it square, measuring seven or five finger-breadths. / The hollow should occupy one-third, and a very beautiful circle should be in the middle.

24.12

Level crosswise and upward, outside the excavated [hollow] one should clear half [the surface]; / one-fourth of a finger-breadth, and half of the remaining half at the edge.

24.13

With the remaining half, one should make a charming belt for the excavated hollow. / The neck is one-third in width and equal in length to a thumb;

24.14

or it may be one and a half thumbs; at its tip there should be a mouth, / four finger-breadths in width, or even five finger-breadths.

24.15

It should be three or two finger-breadths; its middle is very handsome. / Its entire length should be equal to it, depressed and very handsome in the middle.

24.16

In the region of the neck there should be a cavity into which the little finger can enter. / The remainder of the fire-pit should be made decorated according to one's taste.

24.17

The sruva should measure one cubit and be provided with a handle. / The cup should be made circular, two finger-breadths [wide], and very handsome,

24.17.p1

1 The manuscript marked "kha" reads "kuṇḍakena samanvitam".

24.17.p2

2 The manuscript marked "kha" reads "kaṇṭhakaṃ dvyaṅgulam"; the manuscript marked "ṅa" reads "candrābhaṃ dvyaṅgulam".

24.18

such as a cow's footprint sunk into shallow mud would be. / Having smeared [the ground], one should draw lines a finger-breadth [wide] with the tip of a vajra.

24.19

The first of these points north; [there are] two lines facing east. / Between them, one should likewise make three, in sequence beginning with the south.

24.20

Having thus inscribed and sprinkled [the area] with the praṇava, the knower of mantras / should prepare a seat with it, and in that, [visualize] the Vaiṣṇava power.

24.21

Having adorned her as personified, one should deposit the fire, remembering Hari. / Offering firewood sticks measuring a span, and sweeping around it,

and strewing [the area] three times with darbha grass beginning from the east, one should place the vessel there. / One should set down the firewood, the fire, and both the sruc and sruva on the ground;

24.23

the ghee-pot, the caru-pot, the kuśa grass, and the ghee. Sprinkling them with the praṇītā [water], / and taking up the prokṣaṇī vessel and filling it with water,

24.24

straining that water into a hand holding a pavitra, / and bringing the prokṣaṇī vessel eastward and placing it in front of the flame,

24.25

and sprinkling three times with that water, one should lay the kindling in front. / Having meditated on Viṣṇu in the flower-adorned praṇītā [vessel] to the north,

24.26

and filling the ghee-pot with ghee and placing it in front, / one should perform the consecration of the ghee by flooding and skimming.

24.27

With two span-length kuśa blades that are unbroken at the tips and without sprouts inside, / held by both upturned hands with thumb and ring finger,

24.28

grasping the ghee with the two of them, moving it twice, one should cast it downward three times. / Grasping also the sruc and sruva, sprinkling them with water,

24.28.p1

[Footnotes]

24.28.p2

1 The manuscript marked "kha" reads "rudranāsikām"; the manuscript marked "ṅa" reads "vaktranāsikām".

24.28.p3

2 The manuscript marked "ṅa" reads "ādyaṃ tayostu sampūjya trīn vārānūrdhvamutkṣipet".

24.29

heating them, wiping them with darbha blades, and washing them again, / and heating them thoroughly, the practitioner should set them down with the praṇava.

24.30

Then, one should perform the fire oblation with [the mantra] beginning with the praṇava and ending with "namaḥ", / through the rites beginning with conception, divided into portions:

24.31

ending with the naming, ending with the investiture with the sacred thread, ending with graduation from studentship, / or ending with qualification [for householdership], one should perform them according to their components.

24.32

The practitioner should perform the attendances everywhere with the praṇava. / The fire oblation with the ancillary mantras should be performed in accordance with one's wealth.

24.33

Conception is taught as the first, then the rite for securing a male child, / the parting of the hair, the birth-rite, the naming, the first feeding of solid food,

24.34

tonsure, investiture with the sacred thread, the Vedic observances in full, / graduation from studentship, union with a wife, and then entitlement [as a householder].

24.35

Meditating [on each rite] in order from the heart and other bodily parts, and worshiping each rite, / one should offer eight oblations for each rite.

24.36

Then, the practitioner should offer the full oblation with the sruc and the root mantra, / uttering a prolated, melodious tone with the mantra ending in "vauṣaṭ".

24.37

Having consecrated the fire of Viṣṇu, one should cook the Vaiṣṇava caru. / Having worshiped Viṣṇu on the altar and remembering the mantras, one should boil it thoroughly.

24.38

Following the proper sequence beginning with the seat, having worshipped the highest Lord along with his limbs and retinue / with fragrant perfumes and flowers, the meditator, [worshipping] that supreme deity,

24.39

should place the kindling wood, and then the two ghee-stream oblations stationed at the fire and īśa [corners],

24.39.p1

[Footnote]

24.39.p2

1. "having employed and set up" is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.

24.39.p3

2. "the observances of the gods entirely" is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.

24.39.p4

3. "and yoga according to qualification" is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.

24.39.p5

4. "having gratified the mantras, he should cook" is the reading in the two manuscripts marked kha and gha.
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24.39_2

directed in due order towards the north-west and south-west directions.

24.40

Then, having offered the two portions of clarified butter, which are the right and left eyes, / in the centre he should then offer [oblations for] all the mantras according to the sequence of worship.

24.41

With clarified butter he should gratify the icon; with a tenth part [thereof], the oblation for the ancillary limbs, / numbering a hundred or a thousand, with ghee and other [substances], or with firewood together with sesame seeds.

24.42

Having concluded the worship ending with the fire oblation, he should summon the pure students who have fasted, / seat them in front, and then sprinkle those bound souls with the weapon-mantra.

24.43

Having united the students within himself, consciousness, which follows the subtle body, / bound by the bonds of ignorance and karma along with the subtle body,

24.44

sprinkling it by the path of meditation, he should purify it with the wind-seed-syllable. / Then, with the fire-seed-syllable, the creation known as the cosmic egg,

24.45

he should meditate upon as entirely burnt up, standing like a heap of ashes. / He should inundate the ashes with water, and contemplate the cyclic world as composed of water.

24.46

There he should then deposit the power of earth called the seed-syllable. / Enveloped by all the subtle elements, auspicious and earthy,

24.47

he should meditate upon the egg arising from that, based on that and consisting of that. / In the middle of it, he should contemplate the person-form consisting of the praṇava.

24.48

He should then transfer the subtle body situated within himself, consecrated previously; / he should visualize it growing by degrees, with its bodily organs properly differentiated.

24.49

Then, that egg, having stayed for a single year, splits into two;

24.49.p1

[Footnote]

24.49.p2

1. "or with firewood and likewise sesame seeds" is the reading in the manuscript marked gha.

24.49.p3

2. "shown along with the subtle body" is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.

24.49.p4

3. "and should contemplate cyclic existence as imperishable" is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.

24.49.p5

4. "consecrated previously on the sacrificial ground" is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.
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24.49_2

the two halves become heaven and earth; between them, the lord of creatures

24.50

is born; having meditated [thus], having sprinkled [them] again, taking refuge in the praṇava, / making their bodies consist of mantras according to the ritual deposition previously explained,

24.51

the master, placing the hand of Viṣṇu on the head, should meditate upon the Vaiṣṇava state. / Having thus brought about the birth of one or many [students] through the yoga of meditation,

24.52

grasping their hands with the root-mantra, and binding their eyes with a cloth / using the eye-mantra, the mantrin [should lead] them, with an unbroken garment,

24.53

The guru, who knows the reality and has properly performed the worship of the God of gods, / should seat the disciples facing east, holding flowers in their folded hands.

24.54

They too, having thus been born through the guru, should worship Hari; / having cast folded hands of flowers there, immediately thereafter with flowers and other offerings,

24.55

having performed the worship without mantras, then, having performed the worship of the guru's feet, / he should offer the sacrificial fee, either his entire property or half of it.

24.56

The guru should instruct the disciples; Hari is to be worshipped by them with his names. / He should worship the lord Viṣvaksena, who bears the conch, discus, and mace.

24.57

With the forefinger, reciting his mantra, he should dismiss him from the maṇḍala. //57

24.58

He should offer all the leftover offerings of Viṣṇu to Viṣvaksena. / And having sprinkled himself with the praṇītā waters, and having the fire in the fire-pit