Agni Purana

ओं क्षों नरसिंह उग्ररूप ज्वल ज्वल प्रज्वल प्रज्वल स्वाहा ओं क्षौं नमो भगवते नरसिंहाय प्रदिप्तसूर्यकोटिसहस्रसमतेजसे वज्रनखदंष्ट्रायुधाय स्फुटविकटविकीर्णकेसरसटा प्रक्षुभितमहार्णवाम्भोददुन्दुभिनिर्घोषाय सर्वमन्त्रोत्तारणाय एह्येहि भगवन्नरसिंह पुरुषपरापर ब्रह्मसत्येन स्फुर स्फुर विजृम्भ विजृम्भ आक्रम आक्रम गर्ज गर्ज मुञ्च मुञ्च सिंहनादान् विदारय विदारय विद्रावय विद्रावय आविश अविश सर्वमन्त्ररूपाणि सर्व्वमन्त्रजातयश्च हन् हन छिन्द छिन्द सङ्क्षिप सङ्क्षिप सर सर दारय दारय स्फुट स्फुट स्फोटय ज्वालामालासङ्घातमय सर्वतोऽनन्तज्वालावज्राशनिचक्रेण सर्वपातालान् उत्सादय उत्सादय सर्वतोऽनन्तज्वलावज्रशरपञ्चरेण सर्वपातालान् परिवारय परिवारय सर्वपातालासुरवासिनां हृदयान्याकर्षय आकर्षय शीघ्रं दह दह पच पच मथ मथ शोषय शोषय निकृन्तय निकृन्तय तावद्यावन्मे वशमागताः पातालेभ्यः फट् असुरेभ्यः फट् मन्त्ररूपेभ्यः फट् मन्त्रजातिभ्यः फट् संशयान्मां भगवन्नरसिंहरूप विष्णो सर्वापद्भ्यः सर्वमन्त्ररूपेभ्यो रक्ष रक्ष ह्रूं फट् नमाऽस्तु ते

Om kṣoṃ! O Narasiṃha, fierce in form—blaze, blaze! Shine forth, shine forth! Svāhā! Om kṣauṃ! Salutation to the Blessed Narasiṃha, whose brilliance equals thousands of blazing suns, whose weapons are diamond-like claws and fangs, whose mane is wild and scattered, whose roar agitates the great ocean and resounds like a drum, who overcomes all spells—come, come, O Blessed Narasiṃha, supreme person, by the truth of Brahman—manifest, manifest! Expand, expand! Advance, advance! Roar, roar! Release, release lion's roars! Tear, tear! Drive away, drive away! Enter, enter all forms of mantras and all mantra lineages! Strike, strike! Cut, cut! Compress, compress! Flow, flow! Split, split! Burst forth, burst forth! Scatter the mass of blazing flames everywhere with the wheel of endless fiery thunderbolts—destroy all netherworlds! Surround all netherworlds with the cage of endless fiery thunderbolts! Draw forth the hearts of all netherworld-dwelling demons—quickly burn, burn! Cook, cook! Churn, churn! Dry up, dry up! Sever, sever! Until they are brought under my control—from the netherworlds, phaṭ! From the demons, phaṭ! From the forms of mantras, phaṭ! From the mantra lineages, phaṭ! O Blessed Narasiṃha, O Viṣṇu in the form of Narasiṃha, protect me from all dangers, from all forms of mantras—protect, protect! Hrūṃ, phaṭ! Salutations to you!

त्रैलोक्यमोहनैर्म्मन्त्रैः स्थाप्यस्त्रैलोक्यमोहनः। गदी दक्षे शान्तिकरो द्विभुजो वा चतुर्भुजः

With mantras that enchant the three worlds, establish the Three-World-Enchanter; the mace-bearer on the right, the peacemaker, whether two-armed or four-armed.

वामोद्‌र्ध्वे कारयेच्चक्रं पाञ्चजन्यमथो ह्यधः। श्रीपुष्टिसंयुतं कुर्य्याद् बलेन सह भद्रया

Place the discus above on the left, and the conch Pāñcajanya below; unite them with Śrī and Puṣṭi, along with Bala and Bhadrā.

प्रासादे स्थापयेद्विष्णुं गृहे वा मण्डपेऽपि वा। वामनं चैव वैकुण्ठं हयास्यमनिरुद्धकम्

Establish Viṣṇu in the temple, or in the house, or even in a pavilion; also Vāmana, Vaikuṇṭha, Hayagrīva, and Aniruddha.

स्थापयेज्जलशय्यास्थं मत्स्यादींश्चावतारकान्। सङ्कर्षणं विश्वरूपं लिङ्गं वै रुद्रमूर्तिकम्

Establish him reclining on water, and the incarnations beginning with Matsya; Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Universal Form, and the liṅga as the form of Rudra.

अर्द्धनारीश्वरं तद्वद्धरिशङ्करमातृकाः। भैरवं च तथा सूर्य्यं ग्रहांस्तद्वद्विनायकम्

In the same way, Ardhanārīśvara, Hari, Śaṅkara, the Mothers, Bhairava, also Sūrya, the planets, and likewise Vināyaka are to be depicted.

गौरीमिन्द्रादिकां लेप्यां चित्रजां च बलाबलाम्। पुस्तकानां प्रतिष्ठां च वक्ष्ये लिखनतद्विधिम्

I shall explain the method for painting Gaurī, Indra and the others, the various goddesses, Balā and Balā, and the proper installation of books.

स्वस्तिके मण्डलेऽभ्यर्च्य शरपत्रासने स्थितम् । लोख्यञ्च लिखितं पुस्तं गुरुं विद्यां हरिं यजेत्

After worshipping on a svastika or maṇḍala, and seating oneself on a bed of darbha grass, one should worship the written book, the teacher, knowledge, and Hari.

यजमानो गुरुं विद्यां हरिं लिपिकृतं नरम्। प्राङ्‌मुखः पद्मिनीं ध्यायेत् लिखित्वा श्लोकपञ्चकम्

The sacrificer, facing east, should meditate on the lotus, having written five verses, and worship the teacher, knowledge, Hari, and the person who wrote the text.

रौप्यस्थमस्या हैम्या च लेखन्या नागराक्षरम् । ब्राह्मणान् बोजयेच्छक्त्या शक्त्या दद्याच्च दक्षिणाम्

With a silver or golden pen, one should write the Nāgarī script; then, according to ability, feed the Brāhmaṇas and give them gifts as offerings.

गुरुं विद्यां हरिं प्रार्च्य पुराणादि लिखेन्नरः। पूर्ववन्मण्डलाद्ये च ऐशान्यां भद्रपीठके

Having worshipped the teacher, knowledge, and Hari, a person should write the Purāṇas and other texts, as before, beginning with the maṇḍala, on an auspicious seat in the northeast.

दर्प्पणे पुस्तकं दृष्ट्वा सेचयेत् पूर्व्ववद् घटैः। नेत्रोन्मीलनकं कृत्वा शय्यायां तु न्यसेन्नरः

After seeing the book in a mirror, one should sprinkle it with water from pots as before; having performed the opening of the eyes, one should place it on the bed.

न्यसेत्तु पौरुषं सूक्तं वेदाद्यं तत्र पुस्तके। कृत्वा सजीवीकरणं प्रार्च्य हुत्वा चरुं ततः

One should place the Puruṣa Sūkta and the first part of the Veda in the book, perform the rite of enlivening, worship, and then offer cooked food.

सम्प्राश्य दक्षिणाभिस्तु गुर्व्वादीन् भोजयेद् द्विजान्। रथेन हस्तिना वापि भ्रामयेत् पुस्तकं नरैः

After feeding the teachers and others with gifts, one should have the book carried around by men, either in a chariot or on an elephant.

गृहे देवालयादौ तु षुस्तकं स्थाप्य पूजयेत्। वस्त्रादिवेष्टितं पाठादादावन्ते समर्च्चयेत्

The book should be placed and worshipped in the house or temple, wrapped in cloth and so on, and honored at the beginning and end of recitation.

जगच्छान्तिञ्चावधार्य्य पुस्तकं वाचयेन्नरः। अद्यायमेकं कुम्भाद्भिर्यजमानादि सेचयेत्

For the peace of the world, one should have the book recited; at the start of each chapter, the sacrificer and others should be sprinkled with water from pots.

द्विजाय पुस्तकं दत्त्वा फलस्यान्तो न विद्यते। त्रीण्याहुरतिदीनानि गावः पृथ्वी सरस्वती

Having given the book to a Brāhmaṇa, there is no end to the merit; three are said to be supremely compassionate: cows, the earth, and Sarasvatī.

विद्यादानफलं दत्त्वा मस्यन्तं पत्रसञ्चयम्। यावत्तु पत्रसङ्‌ख्यानमक्षराणां तथाऽन्घ

Having given the fruit of knowledge as a gift, along with ink and a collection of leaves, as many as there are leaves and letters, O dear one,

तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि विष्णुलोके महीयते। पञ्चरात्रं पुराणानि भारतानि ददन्नरः। कुलैकविंशमुद्धृत्य परे तत्त्वे तु लीयते

For that many thousands of years one is honored in the world of Viṣṇu; giving the Purāṇas and Bhāratas for five nights, one uplifts twenty-one generations and then merges into the supreme reality.

ईश्वर उवाच अर्घपात्रकरो यायादग्न्यागारं सुसंवृतः। यागोपकरणं सर्वं दिव्यदृष्ट्या च कल्पयेत्

Īśvara said: One should go to the fire-house carrying the arghya vessel, well-composed, and prepare all the sacrificial implements with divine vision.

उदङ्‌मुखः कुण्डमीक्षेत् प्रोक्षणं ताडनं कुशैः। विदध्यादस्त्रमन्त्रेण वर्म्मणाभ्युक्षणं मतं

Facing north, one should inspect the altar, sprinkle and strike it with kuśa grass, perform the prescribed mantra, and anoint it with protective water.

खड्गेन खातमुद्धारं पूरणं समतामपि। कुर्वीत वर्म्मणा सेकं कुट्टनन्तु शरात्मना

With a sword, one should dig and clear the pit, fill it and level it; then sprinkle with protective water and pound it with an arrow.

सम्मार्ज्जनं समालेपं कलारूपप्रकल्पनम्। त्रिसूत्रीपरिधानं च वर्म्मणाभ्यर्च्चनं सदा

One should sweep, smear, and shape it according to the proper measure, bind it with three threads, and always worship with protective water.

रेखात्रयमुदक् कुर्य्यादेकां पूर्वाननामधः। कुशेन च शिवास्त्रेण यद्वा तासां विपर्य्ययः

He should make three lines of water, one to the east, one to the front, and one below; or, with sacred kusa grass and the Śiva weapon, he may reverse their order.

वज्रीकरणमन्त्रेण हृदा दर्भेश्चतुष्पथम्। अक्षपात्रन्ततनुत्रेण विन्यसेद्विष्टरं हृदा

With the mantra for making it vajra-like, he should, with his heart, lay out a fourfold path of darbha grass; with the mantra for the vessel, he should, with his heart, arrange the seat widely.

हृदा वागीश्वरीं तत्र ईशमावाह्य पूजयेत्। वह्निं सदाश्रयानीतं शुद्धपात्रोपरिस्थितम्

With his heart, he should invoke Vāgīśvarī there, and worship the Lord; the fire, brought with proper support, is placed upon a pure vessel.

क्रव्यादांशंपरित्यज्य वीक्षणादिविशोधितम्। औदर्य्यं चैन्दवं भौतं एकीकृत्यानलत्रयम्

Having discarded any portion fit for carnivores, and purified by inspection and other means, he should unite the bodily, lunar, and elemental fires into one.

ओं हूं वह्निचैतन्याय वह्निवीजेन विन्यसेत्। संहितामन्त्रितं वह्नि धेनुमुद्रामृतीकृतम्

Uttering 'om hūm' to the consciousness of fire, he should install it with the seed of fire; the fire, empowered by the samhita mantra, is made nectar by the cow mudra.

रक्षितं हेतिमन्त्रेण कवचेनावगुण्ठितम्। पूजितन्त्रिः परिभ्राम्य कुण्डस्योद्‌र्ध्वं प्रदक्षिणम्

Protected by the weapon mantra, veiled with armor, the worshipper should circumambulate above the altar to the right, with the worship thread.