Pāvamānī

Pāvamānī, “the purifying ṛks”

Grammar: feminine adjective, from pavamāna, “being purified, purifying”; used of the ṛks (verses of the Ṛgveda), the Pāvamānī ṛks.

Meaning: the Pāvamānī ṛks, a body of very purifying ṛks of the Ṛgveda, recited in consecrations and used in japa and homa.

In the scriptures: the Agni Purāṇa names the Pāvamānī ṛks in the consecrations and in the Ṛgvidhāna.

  • The foundation stones: in the pāda-pratishṭhā, the consecration of a temple’s foundation which Hayagrīva teaches, nine kalaśas are filled with water, herbs and sandal water, and the stones and bricks are wetted from them while reciting the three ṛks beginning “Āpo hi shṭhā“, “Śaṃ no devīr abhishṭaye“, “Taratsamandaḥ”, the Pāvamānī ṛks, “Ud uttamaṃ varuṇa”, “Kayā naḥ” and “Varuṇasyottambhanam asi” (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 41).
  • The bathing of Varuṇa: in the consecration of wells, step-wells and tanks, Varuṇa is given abhisheka from kalaśas set in the directions, each with its own mantra; with the Pāvamānī ṛks he is bathed with the tīrtha water of the north-east kalaśa (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 64).
  • The adhivāsana: in the adhivāsana before the pratishṭhā of a Śiva-liṅga, which Parameśvara teaches, the brāhmaṇas recite the Vedas by direction; in the east the Ṛgvedins recite the Śrī-sūkta, the Pāvamānī ṛks, the Maitreya Brāhmaṇa and the Vṛshākapi mantras (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 96).
  • The Ṛgvidhāna: in the vidhāna of the Ṛgveda which Pushkara told Paraśurāma, the Pāvamānī ṛks and the thirty Vaikhānasa ṛks are very purifying, and so are the sixty-two ṛks beginning “Parasya”. The Pāvamānī ṛks number six hundred and ten; one who does their japa and homa conquers the fear of death (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 259).

Related terms: Ṛk · Ṛgveda · Japa · Homa · Abhisheka · Pratishṭhā

Sources

  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 41, 64, 96, 259