Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 21
Mantra-paribhāṣā (मन्त्रपरिभाषा) — Colophon/Closure
सतोदो रन्थितो दंशः सविषो न्यस्तनिर्विषः देवालये शून्यगृहे वल्मीकोद्यानकोटरे
satodo ranthito daṃśaḥ saviṣo nyastanirviṣaḥ devālaye śūnyagṛhe valmīkodyānakoṭare
العضّة/اللسعة (daṃśa) قد تكون من نوع نافذٍ ثاقب، أو من نوع ممزِّق/مُخضخِض، أو سامة، أو مما أُودِع فيه السمّ مسبقًا (أو خفَّ أثره). ومثل ذلك يُصادَف في المعبد، وفي البيت الخالي، وفي جُحر النمل/تَلّ النمل (valmīka)، وفي البستان، أو في التجويف/الهوّة.
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Field recognition of bite/sting mechanisms (piercing vs tearing) and poison status (toxic vs spent) plus habitat-based risk mapping (temple, empty house, anthill, garden, hollow) to guide prevention and immediate response.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Daṃśa-bheda: piercing/tearing, poisonous/spent; habitat loci of encounters","lookup_keywords":["satoda","ranthita","saviṣa","nirviṣa","valmīka"],"quick_summary":"Bites are classified by mechanism (piercing, churning/tearing) and by poison status (poisonous or already spent/deposited). Typical encounter sites include temples, abandoned houses, anthills, gardens, and hollows—useful for prevention and clinical suspicion."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Prayojana of classification: knowing bheda (types) and deśa (habitat) reduces harm and improves response.
Application: Create a simple local protocol: identify habitats, avoid provoking creatures, and treat suspected saviṣa bites as emergencies.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Toxicology / Sarpa-viṣa & Daṃśa-cikitsā)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Sacred site / Dwelling / Natural microhabitat
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practical toxicology scene: a physician/guard points out risky habitats—temple corner, abandoned house, anthill, garden shrubs, tree hollow—while illustrating bite types (piercing vs tearing) and labeling poisonous vs spent bites.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, landscape with five loci (devalaya, śūnya-gṛha, valmīka, udyāna, koṭara) arranged as vignettes, a vaidya instructing villagers, stylized serpents/insects, earthy palette, didactic clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central instructive figure with gold halo-like ornamentation, surrounding compartments showing anthill, garden, hollow tree, temple, empty house; small icons for piercing/tearing bite types; ornate border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional chart aesthetic: labeled habitats and bite categories (satoda, ranthita, saviṣa, nirviṣa), fine linework, calm background, emphasis on classification.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic garden and architectural corners, attendants discovering an anthill and a hollow, physician advising, detailed fauna depiction, marginal annotations naming bite types and poison status."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi resolved: saviṣo → sa-viṣaḥ; devālaye → deva-ālaye; śūnyagṛhe → śūnya-gṛhe; valmīkodyānakoṭare → valmīkā-udhyāna-koṭare (treated as place-listing compound). nyastanirviṣaḥ treated as dvandva of qualifiers.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: viṣa-bheda and daṃśa-cikitsā passages; Agni Purana: śotha/rujā symptom lists in injury context
FAQs
It gives a technical classification of bite-wounds (piercing, lacerating, venomous, and ‘spent/deposited-venom’ bites) and notes typical habitats/locations where such envenomation risks are encountered—useful for diagnosis and practical prevention in toxicology (viṣa-vidyā).
Beyond theology, it preserves applied medical knowledge—especially toxicology—by systematizing types of bites and contextual risk locations (temples, abandoned houses, anthills, gardens, hollows), showing the Purana’s coverage of public health, environment, and clinical observation.
By warning about danger-zones even in sacred or domestic spaces (like temples and houses), it frames bodily protection and prudent conduct as part of dharma—preserving life supports ritual duty, purity, and the capacity to perform religious obligations.