Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
सदा दुःस्थ इति ख , छ च मनुष्याणामिति ङ व्यापिने देयमिति ङ पित्रे चैव यदा सोमो हंसे चैव करे स्थिते तिथिर्वैवस्वतो नाम सा छाया कुञ्जरस्य तु
sadā duḥstha iti kha , cha ca manuṣyāṇāmiti ṅa vyāpine deyamiti ṅa pitre caiva yadā somo haṃse caiva kare sthite tithirvaivasvato nāma sā chāyā kuñjarasya tu
وفي رموز الحروف المدوَّنة يُقال: «دائم الابتلاء» (kha؛ وكذلك cha)، و«للبشر» (ṅa)، و«يُعطى للمتغلغل في كل شيء، فيشنو» (ṅa). ثم إذا كان القمر واقعًا في منزلة هَمْسَ (Haṃsa) وكذلك في كَرَ (Kara)، سُمِّيَت تلك التِّثي Vaivasvata؛ وصورتها الظلية المرتبطة هي صورة الفيل.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating the Agni Purana to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Identifying a specific tithi-name (Vaivasvata) via lunar placement in named nakṣatra/asterism markers (Haṃsa, Kara) and using its associated 'shadow-form' (elephant) for ritual coding in śrāddha/dāna timing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Vaivasvata Tithi: Haṃsa–Kara Moon Placement and Kunjara-chāyā","lookup_keywords":["Vaivasvata tithi","Haṃsa","Kara","tithi-nāma","kuñjara-chāyā"],"quick_summary":"The verse encodes a calendrical identification: when the Moon is in the specified stellar markers (Haṃsa and Kara), the tithi is termed Vaivasvata and is linked with an elephant-shadow (kuñjara-chāyā) designation used in ritual timing."}
Concept: Nāma-rūpa mapping in ritual time: specific celestial configurations are assigned conventional names (tithi-nāma) and symbols (chāyā) to guide dharma-prayoga.
Application: In pañcāṅga practice, verify Moon’s placement against the tradition’s Haṃsa/Kara markers to label the tithi as Vaivasvata for the intended rite and to apply the associated chāyā-based rule-set.
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa / Tithi-nāma-nirūpaṇa (Calendar & Astral Time-Units)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An astronomer-priest indicates the Moon’s position in a star-map labeled Haṃsa and Kara; beside it, a calendrical tablet naming the tithi 'Vaivasvata' and an emblematic elephant-shadow motif.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized night sky with nakṣatra clusters labeled Haṃsa and Kara, a priest-astronomer with palm-leaf manuscript, symbolic elephant silhouette as chāyā, flat bold colors and sacred geometry borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate circular star-map with gold accents, Moon highlighted, inscription 'Vaivasvata', elephant emblem rendered with gold relief, devotional-technical fusion aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean didactic panel—top: nakṣatra diagram; middle: Moon placement; bottom: tithi name 'Vaivasvata' and kuñjara-chāyā icon, fine lines and muted palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: observatory scene with instruments, scholar pointing to lunar chart, attendants holding a calendar folio titled Vaivasvata, subtle elephant-shadow cast on courtyard floor."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Text contains manuscript markers (ख, छ, ङ) and punctuation; treated as non-grammatical indeclinables. तिथिर्वैवस्वतो→तिथिः वैवस्वतः; चैव→च एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Tithi-nāma-nirūpaṇa passages; Agni Purana: Grahaṇa/Chāyā terminology sections
FAQs
It gives jyotiṣa-style identification of a specific tithi called “Vaivasvata,” keyed to the Moon’s placement (Haṃsa and Kara), and adds a ritual cue about dedicatory giving (dāna) to the all-pervading Viṣṇu and/or the Pitṛs, along with an omen-image (elephant shadow-form).
It exemplifies the Purana’s calendrical and astral-ritual compendium: naming time-units (tithi), linking them to astronomical placements, prescribing religious actions (dāna/dedication), and recording omenography (chāyā-forms)—a blend of astronomy, ritual law, and divinatory symbolism.
Correct timing and appropriate dedication (especially offerings directed to Viṣṇu and/or the Pitṛs) are presented as aligning human action with cosmic order, mitigating inauspiciousness (“sadā duḥstha”) and supporting merit (puṇya) through disciplined ritual observance.