Agni Purana

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.

शिववीजमिति ध्यात्वा वागीशागर्भगोचरे। वागीश्वरेण देवेन क्षिप्यमानं विभावयेत्

Meditating on the Śiva seed within the domain of Vāgīśā's womb, he should envision it being cast by the god Vāgīśvara.

भूमिष्ठजानुको मन्त्री हृदात्मसम्मुखं क्षिपेत्। ततोऽन्तस्थितवीजस्य नाभिदेशे समूहम्

The priest, seated on the ground, should cast it from his heart, facing his own self; then, at the navel region, he should gather the group of inner seeds.

सम्भृतिं परिधानस्य शौचमाचमनं हृदा। गर्भाग्नेः पूजनं कृत्वा तद्रक्षार्थं शराणुना

He should perform the gathering of the covering, purification, and sipping with his heart; after worshipping the womb-fire, for its protection, he should use the arrow.

वध्नीयाद्गर्भजं देव्याः ककङ्कणं पाणिपल्लवे। गर्भाधानाय सम्पूज्य सद्योजातेन पावकम्

He should bind the bracelet of the goddess, born of the womb, on her tender hand; having worshipped the fire with Sadyojāta for conception.

ततो हृदयमन्त्रेण जुहुयादाहुतित्रयम्। पुंसवनाय वामेन तृतीये मासि पूजयेत्

Then, with the heart mantra, he should offer three oblations; for the rite of producing a male child, he should worship in the third month on the left.

आहुतित्रितयं दद्याच्छिरसाम्बुकणान्वितं। सीमन्तोन्नयनं षष्ठे मासि सम्पूज्य रूपिणा

He should give three oblations, accompanied by drops of water on the head; in the sixth month, having worshipped the goddess of form, he should perform the parting of the hair.

जुहुयादाहुतीस्तिस्त्रः शिखया शिखयैव तु। वक्त्राङ्गकल्पनां कुर्य्याद्वक्त्रोद्‌घाटननिष्कृती

He should offer three oblations with the topknot, indeed with the topknot itself; he should perform the arrangement of the mouth and the rites for opening and purifying the mouth.

जातकर्म्मंनृकर्म्मभ्यां दशमे मासि पूर्ववत। वह्नि सन्धुक्ष्य दर्भाद्यैः स्नानं गर्भमलापहं

In the tenth month, as before, he should perform the birth and man-making rites; having kindled the fire with darbha and other things, he should bathe to remove the impurities of the womb.

सुवर्णबन्धनं देव्या कृतं ध्यात्वा हृदार्च्चयेत्। सद्यः सूतकनाशाय प्रोक्षयेदस्त्रवारिणा

Meditating on the golden binding made for the goddess, he should worship with his heart; for the immediate removal of birth impurity, he should sprinkle with water empowered by the weapon mantra.

कुम्भन्तु वहिरस्त्रेण ताडयेद्वर्म्मणोक्षयेत्। अस्त्रेणोत्तरपूर्व्वाग्रान्मेखलासु वहिः कुशान्

He should strike the pot with the external weapon and purify it with armor; with the weapon, he should place kusa grass outside the girdles, at the northern and eastern ends.