Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 26
Chapter 369 — शरीरावयवाः
The Limbs/Organs and Constituents of the Body
पृष्ठवंशस्योपगताश् चतस्रो मांसरज्जवः नवत्यश् च तथा पेश्यस्तासां बन्धनकारिकाः
pṛṣṭhavaṃśasyopagatāś catasro māṃsarajjavaḥ navatyaś ca tathā peśyastāsāṃ bandhanakārikāḥ
المتّصلة بالعمود الفقري أربعُ حبالٍ عضلية؛ وهناك تسعون «بيشي» (أشرطة وترية أو عضلية) تقوم بوظيفة الروابط المُحكَمة لتلك البُنى.
Lord Agni (teaching to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Anatomical enumeration supporting understanding of spinal support structures; relevant to back injury management, posture training, and therapeutic strengthening.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Spinal attachments: four māṃsa-rajjus and ninety peśīs","lookup_keywords":["pṛṣṭhavaṃśa","māṃsa-raज्जु","peśī","navati","bandhana"],"quick_summary":"States four muscular ‘cords’ connected to the spine and ninety peśīs acting as binding fastenings—an enumerative model for spinal stability."}
Concept: The body is an engineered structure: stability arises from cords and bindings (rajjū/bandhana) supporting the axial column.
Application: Use the ‘axial column + bindings’ model to guide posture, ergonomics, and disciplined movement in sādhanā and daily work.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Sharira-Rachana / Human Anatomy)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic of the spinal column with four prominent muscular cords attached and numerous smaller peśī bands shown as fastening ties along the back.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized back-view figure, spine as a central staff, four thick cords attached, many fine bands as ties, earthy pigments, clear didactic geometry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, back-view torso panel with gold-highlighted spine and four cords, embossed patterning for the ninety peśīs as repeated motifs, ornate frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, anatomical chart with spine and attachments, fine lines for multiple peśīs, calm palette, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, atelier scene of a physician illustrating spinal anatomy on parchment, detailed vertebral column and cord-like muscles, elegant borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pṛṣṭhavaṃśasyopagatāḥ = pṛṣṭhavaṃśasya + upagatāḥ; navatyaś = navatyaḥ (visarga sandhi); peśyastāsāṃ = peśyaḥ + tāsām.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 369 (śarīra-saṅkhyā; nāḍī/marma-related enumerations)
FAQs
It imparts Ayurvedic anatomical enumeration: the verse specifies the number and functional role of muscle-like cords and peśī (fibrous muscular/tendinous bands) associated with the spinal column.
By preserving technical Śārīra (anatomy) vocabulary and numerical body-mapping—material typically associated with Ayurveda—alongside the Purana’s broader coverage of ritual, polity, and other sciences.
Its primary aim is practical knowledge (śārīra-jñāna); in Purāṇic framing, accurate understanding of the body supports disciplined living and informed religious practice by clarifying the embodied basis of dharma and health.