Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 7
Pratiṣṭhā-Kalaśa-Śodhana-Ukti (Instruction on Purifying the Consecration Pitcher) — Chapter 85
केदारो भैरवश् चैव द्वितीयाष्टकमीरितं ततो गयाकुरुक्षेत्रखलानादिकनादिके
kedāro bhairavaś caiva dvitīyāṣṭakamīritaṃ tato gayākurukṣetrakhalānādikanādike
«كيدارا وبهايرافا»—يُعلَن هذا بوصفه الثمانية الثانية؛ ثم تُذكَر غايا وكوروكشيترا وسائر المواضع المقدسة ابتداءً من خالانا وكاناديكا.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides pilgrimage planning and tīrtha-recitation for accruing puṇya; supports ritual calendars and yātrā itineraries by naming key sites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Tīrtha-saṅgraha (Kedāra–Bhairava–Gayā–Kurukṣetra etc.)","lookup_keywords":["Kedāra","Bhairava","Gayā","Kurukṣetra","tīrtha-māhātmya"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates prominent tīrthas as a structured set, implying merit through visitation or remembrance. Practical for devotees to prioritize major pilgrimage nodes and associated rites (śrāddha, snāna, dāna)."}
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā (visiting/remembering sacred places) as a dharmic means to purification and puṇya accumulation.
Application: Perform snāna, dāna, japa, and (at Gayā) pitṛ-śrāddha; if travel is impossible, do nāma-smaraṇa with sankalpa.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrimage procession moving through multiple sacred landscapes: snowy Kedāra shrine, a Bhairava temple with guardian imagery, Gayā with śrāddha rites by a riverbank, and Kurukṣetra with broad sacred waters.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, segmented narrative: Kedāra mountain temple, Bhairava shrine with lamps, Gayā riverbank śrāddha with priests, Kurukṣetra tīrtha-snāna, bold outlines and traditional palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, four-panel composition with gold-embellished temple towers and ritual vessels, pilgrims offering flowers, priests performing śrāddha, ornate borders and rich colors.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic panels showing rites at each tīrtha (snāna, dāna, śrāddha), soft tones, fine linework, labeled locations.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic travel scene with varied terrains (mountain, river, plain), detailed figures of pilgrims and priests, architectural accuracy, calligraphic labels for each tīrtha."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Tirtha (if unavailable, use) Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भैरवश् चैव = भैरवः च एव; द्वितीयाष्टकमीरितं = द्वितीयाष्टकम् ईरितम्; गयाकुरुक्षेत्रखलानादिकनादिके treated as a multi-member compound in locative singular.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 85 (tīrtha/kṣetra lists continuing in adjacent verses)
FAQs
It gives a structured enumeration (aṣṭaka/group-of-eight) of tīrthas, indicating how sacred places are organized for recitation and pilgrimage-focused merit (tīrtha-nāma-saṅkīrtana).
By cataloguing major and minor pilgrimage sites (Kedāra, Bhairava, Gayā, Kurukṣetra, etc.), it functions like a geographic index of dharma-practice, preserving place-names and their ritual relevance alongside other disciplines in the text.
Reciting and remembering tīrthas is traditionally held to generate puṇya and purification; naming sites like Gayā and Kurukṣetra especially implies merit connected with ancestral rites and dharmic observances.