Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 39 — भूपरिग्रहविधानम्
Bhū-parigraha-vidhāna: Procedure for Acquiring and Ritually Securing Land
सर्वे ते व्यपगच्छन्तु स्थानं कुर्यामहं हरेः हलेन वाहयित्वा गां गोभिश् चैवावदारयेत्
sarve te vyapagacchantu sthānaṃ kuryāmahaṃ hareḥ halena vāhayitvā gāṃ gobhiś caivāvadārayet
«لْتَنْصَرِفْ جميعُ تلك (العوائق/الأدناس). سأُعِدُّ موضعَ هَري. وبعد أن يُقْرَنَ الثورُ بالمِحراث، تُحرَثُ الأرضُ بالمِحراث، وكذلك تُداس/تُنقّى بالأبقار»۔
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Kṣetra-śuddhi and site-preparation for Hari’s shrine/altar: verbal dismissal of doṣas, ploughing, and cow-treading to purify and level the ground.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kṣetra-śuddhi for Hari: ploughing with bull and cow-treading","lookup_keywords":["kṣetra-śuddhi","Hari-sthāna","hala","go","vāstu-śodhana"],"quick_summary":"Command obstacles to depart, then ritually and physically prepare the site by ploughing with a bull and having cows tread/clear it—combining mantra-śuddhi with agrarian purification."}
Concept: Outer order (bhūmi-saṃskāra) supports inner order (devatā-ārādhana); purity is enacted through both speech-act and physical preparation.
Application: Before building or consecration, perform a formal dismissal of impediments and ensure the land is tilled/compacted and cleared in a ritually acceptable manner.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Kshetra-Vastu (Temple-site preparation and consecration instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha/River/Mountain/Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest declares the departure of impurities, then a bull yoked to a plough turns the soil; cows are led across the site to tread and clear it, marking the ground for Hari’s sacred place.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple-site clearing scene, priest with raised hand in dismissal gesture, bull and wooden plough, cows walking in a line over the earth, simple shrine marker for Hari, earthy reds/ochres, stylized foliage","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on ritual implements, priest near a small Viṣṇu emblem, bull-plough in foreground, cows treading the field, ornate border, saturated colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic clarity: plough lines on ground, bull yoke details, cows’ hoofprints, priest speech ribbon ‘vyapaga-cchantu’, calm instructional composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pastoral realism: ploughed furrows, attendants guiding bull and cows, priest in corner blessing the site, architectural plan hints in background, fine detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैवावदारयेत् = च + एव + अवदारयेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 39 (pūjā-vidhi / kṣetra-vāstu sequence)
FAQs
Practical kṣetra-śuddhi and sthāna-nirmāṇa: the ground for Hari’s sacred site is ritually purified and prepared by ploughing (hala) with a draught animal and by having cows tread/clear the area, coupled with an apotropaic dismissal of obstacles.
It preserves applied knowledge at the intersection of ritual (pūjā-vidhi) and sacred architecture/land science (vāstu): concrete, stepwise procedures for preparing a temple-site, showing the Purāṇa’s coverage beyond mythology into technical praxis.
Preparing Hari’s site through sanctioned acts (ploughing and cow-contact) functions as purification and obstacle-removal, aligning the land with sattva and auspiciousness so worship yields stable merit (puṇya) and fewer ritual impediments.