Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 16
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
स्थानात् स्थानं दशगुणमेकस्माद्गुण्यते स्थले ततो ऽष्टादशमे भागे परार्धमभिधीयते
sthānāt sthānaṃ daśaguṇamekasmādguṇyate sthale tato 'ṣṭādaśame bhāge parārdhamabhidhīyate
এটা স্থানমানৰ পৰা পৰৱৰ্তী স্থানমানলৈ সংখ্যা দশগুণ বৃদ্ধি পায়; আৰু তাৰ পৰা অষ্টাদশ ভাগত ‘পৰাৰ্ধ’ নামৰ একক ঘোষণা কৰা হৈছে।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Decimal place-value scaling for cosmological/kalpa-time and large-number reckoning used in Purāṇic astronomy and chronology.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Daśaguṇa-sthāna-vṛddhi and Parārdha (10-fold place-value up to the 18th)","lookup_keywords":["daśaguṇa","sthāna","parārdha","saṅkhyā","place-value"],"quick_summary":"Each higher place-value is ten times the previous; at the eighteenth step the named unit ‘parārdha’ is defined, serving as a standard large-number marker in Purāṇic computations."}
Concept: Saṅkhyā (enumeration) as a tool to grasp cosmic magnitudes through systematic place-value expansion.
Application: Use decimal scaling to interpret Purāṇic time/space measures consistently across lists of yugas, manvantaras, and kalpas.
Khanda Section: Jyotisha & Sankhya (Cosmological Measures and Large Numbers)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage demonstrates a place-value chart where each column increases tenfold, culminating in the labeled unit ‘parārdha’ at the eighteenth position.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, ochre-red background, a seated rishi with palm-leaf manuscript and a stylized numeric place-value grid, Sanskrit labels for sthāna and parārdha, flat iconic composition, traditional ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on a manuscript and counting-board, rishi in rich garments, ornate frame, the word ‘परार्ध’ emphasized in gilded script, devotional yet instructional mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, a clear decimal place-value table with tenfold arrows, rishi pointing with stylus, muted pastel palette, didactic diagrammatic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scholar-rishi in a study, detailed paper chart of place-values, precise calligraphy ‘परार्ध’, architectural interior with shelves, naturalistic shading."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशगुणम्+एकस्मात् → दशगुणमेकस्मात्; ततो+अष्टादशमे → ततोऽष्टादशमे; परार्धम्+अभिधीयते → परार्धमभिधीयते
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367 (Saṅkhyā/kalā-parimāṇa context); Agni Purana cosmological number-lists in adjacent verses (367.15–367.21)
FAQs
It teaches the decimal place-value principle (each higher place is ten times the previous) and identifies “parārdha” as a named large-number unit reached at a specified place-value step.
Beyond mythology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves technical schemata for computation—numeration, measures, and cosmological magnitudes—useful for Jyotiṣa, calendrics, and Purāṇic cosmography.
By standardizing vast-number reckoning used in cosmology and sacred time, it supports accurate understanding and communication of Purāṇic cosmological scales, reinforcing śāstric clarity (pramāṇa) rather than prescribing a direct ritual act.