Agnipurana 41
English (machine translation) 41
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Contents
41.1
The Holy One said: / I shall explain the consecration of the base, the characteristics of the laying of the foundation stone. / A pavilion is to be built in front, along with four fire-pits.
41.2
The deposition of pitchers, the deposition of bricks, and the raising of doorposts are auspicious. / One should fill three quarters of the excavation, and there worship the site architecture on level ground.
41.3
The bricks should be well baked, measuring twelve finger-breadths, / and endowed with a width that is one third of their length.
41.4
A stone measuring one cubit is best; or, in a stone temple, / one should set down nine copper pitchers as brick-pitchers,
41.5
with waters of the five astringents, with water of all medicinal herbs, / with perfumed water, and with pitchers completely filled with water,
41.6
endowed with gold and unhusked rice, anointed with perfume and sandalwood paste; / with the three verses 'āpo hi ṣṭhā', and also 'śan no devī',
41.7
and 'tarat sa mandī', and with the Pāvamānī verses, / 'ud uttamam varuṇam', and likewise 'ka thā naḥ',
41.7.p1
:n
41.7.p2
1 'suvistāraṃ vibhāgena naipuṇyena' is the reading in the manuscript marked kha.
41.7.p3
2 'śilā syān na śilāmaye' is the reading in the manuscript marked ga.
41.7.p4
3 'bhavatatsamandīriti' is the reading in the two manuscripts marked kha, ga, and ṅa. / :p 119
41.8
with the mantra of Varuṇa, also 'haṃsaḥ śuciṣat', / and with the Śrīsūkta; having thus established the stones along with the pitchers,
41.9
one should worship Hari upon a bed in a maṇḍala in the eastern part of the pavilion. / Having generated the fire, one should then offer twelve kindling sticks.
41.10
One should perform the two continuous ghee offerings and the two portions of ghee with the Praṇava alone. / Then [offer] eight oblations of ghee sequentially with the eight terminal [mantras] along with the Vyāhṛtis,
41.11
to the lords of the worlds, to Agni, to Soma, and to the planets; / and saying 'To Puruṣottama', one should then offer the Vyāhṛtis.
41.12
Then [one should offer] the expiation, the final oblation, flesh offerings to the deities, ghee, and sesamum seeds / with the initial Vedic mantras ending with the twelve-syllabled mantra, severally in the pitchers.
41.13
Facing east, the guru should anoint them in the eight directions, / and in the middle deposit one stone and a pitcher, and these deities in sequence:
41.14
Padma, Mahāpadma, Makara, Kacchapa, / Kumuda, Nanda, Padma, Śaṅkha, and Padminī.
41.15
One must not move the pitchers; among them are the deities of the bricks. / One should deposit the first brick in the east and end in the northeast.
41.16
The powers beginning with Vimalā are the deities of the bricks; / they should be deposited appropriately, and Anugrahā should be deposited in the middle.
41.17
'O unbroken, unblemished, full one, daughter of sage Aṅgiras! / O brick, grant what is desired; I am performing the consecration.'
41.18
Having deposited the bricks with this mantra, the excellent master of the ritual
41.18.p1
:n
1 'saṃyutāḥ' is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.
41.18.p2
2 'aṣṭāhutīḥ tathā pūrṇair ājyam' is the reading in the three manuscripts marked ga, gha, and ṅa.
41.18.p3
3 'somāya ca grahāya ca' is the reading in the manuscript marked ṅa.
41.18.p4
4 'dvādaśārṇena' is the reading in the manuscript marked kha. / :p 120
41.18_2
should then, composed in mind, deposit the foundation deposit in the central position.
41.19
Above the pitcher, having placed the deity Padminī, the lord of gods, / as well as earths, flowers, minerals, gems,
41.20
metals, and the weapon of the guardian of the direction, one should worship in the vessel of the foundation deposit. / In a copper vessel shaped like a lotus, twelve finger-breadths wide
41.21
and four finger-breadths high, one should worship the Earth: / 'O solitary ruler of all beings, adorned with the mountains as your seat,
41.22
surrounded by the oceans, O Goddess, enter into this foundation deposit! / O Nanda, daughter of Vasiṣṭha, bring joy along with the Vasus and offspring!
41.23
O Jayā, heiress of Bhṛgu, bringer of victory to the people! / O Pūrṇā, heiress of Aṅgiras, fulfill my desire!
41.24
O Bhadrā, heiress of Kaśyapa, make my mind auspicious! / O you who are endowed with all seeds, surrounded by all jewels and medicinal herbs!
41.25
O victorious, lovely Nandā, daughter of Vasiṣṭha, take delight here! / O Goddess, daughter of Prajāpati, four-cornered, most exalted!
41.26
O fortunate, radiant, auspicious daughter of Kaśyapa, take delight in this house! / O worshiped, wondrous one, adorned with perfumes and garlands,
41.27
O Goddess, granter of prosperity, daughter of Bhṛgu, take delight in this house! / In the possession of the lord of the country, the lord of the town, and the master of the house,
41.28
bring about the increase of cattle for the satisfaction of humans and others!' / Having spoken thus, one should then sprinkle the excavation with cow urine.
41.29
Having performed [these rites], one should lay the foundation deposit; the laying of the foundation deposit should take place at night. / One should give cows, clothing, and other gifts to the guru, and food to the others.
41.29.p1
:n
41.29.p2
1 'rasam eva ca' is the reading in the manuscripts marked ga, gha, and ṅa.
41.29.p3
2 "priyayā" is the reading in the manuscript marked ga.
[p. 121]
41.30
Having placed the foundation receptacle and laid the bricks, he should then fill the foundation pit. / Thereafter, he should construct the plinth according to the measured dimensions of the temple.
41.31
The best plinth has a height of half the width of the temple; / the intermediate is less by one quarter, and the lowest is half of the highest.
41.32
Above the plinth, however, he should again perform the site architecture sacrifice. / One who accomplishes the consecration of the base rejoices sinless in heaven.
41.33
Whoever merely reflects in mind, "I shall build a temple for the deity"— / whatever sin resides in his body is destroyed on that very day.
41.34
What more need be said when a temple has indeed been built by him in accordance with rule? / He who makes an abode for a deity endowed with eight bricks—
41.35
no one could express the abundant fruit he gains. / From the extent of the temple itself, indeed, such fruit is to be inferred.
41.36
In the middle of the village and in the east, one should provide a west-facing doorway; / and in all the intermediate directions in the village, it should face west; / in the south, north, and west, it should face east.
41.36.p1
Thus in the primary Great Purāṇa, the Āgneya, the forty-first chapter, entitled "The Account of the Conjunction with the Netherdworld."
41.36.p3
Now the forty-second chapter.
41.36.p4
Description of the Characteristics of a Temple
Other recensions (1)
- Agnipurāṇa (Nag Publishers edition, Delhi) — Sanskrit
Linked texts (1)
- Agnipurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit