Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 10
Vṛkṣāyurveda (The Science of Plant-Life) — Tree Placement, Muhūrta, Irrigation, Spacing, and Plant Remedies
विडङ्गघृतपङ्काक्तान् सेचयेच्छीतवारिणा फलनाशे कुलथैश् च मासैर् मुद्गैर् यवैस्तिलैः
viḍaṅgaghṛtapaṅkāktān secayecchītavāriṇā phalanāśe kulathaiś ca māsair mudgair yavaistilaiḥ
ফল নষ্ট হতে থাকলে বিদঙ্গকে ঘৃতের সঙ্গে মিশিয়ে লেপ তৈরি করে গাছে লাগাতে হবে এবং তারপর শীতল জল দিয়ে সেচ দিতে হবে; এছাড়া কুলথ, মাষ, মুদ্গ, যব ও তিল দিয়ে আরও প্রতিকার প্রয়োগ করতে হবে।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Vastu","practical_application":"Plant-therapeutics for orchards: topical paste (lepa) and irrigation protocol to prevent fruit loss, plus supportive applications using specified grains/pulses/oilseed.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Vidanga–ghṛta lepa and cool irrigation for fruit-destruction","lookup_keywords":["vidanga ghrita paste","fruit loss remedy","cool water irrigation","kulattha māṣa mudga yava tila","vṛkṣāyurveda treatment"],"quick_summary":"For fruit destruction, apply a paste of viḍaṅga mixed with ghee and irrigate with cool water; additional supportive preparations using horse-gram, black gram, green gram, barley, and sesame are indicated."}
Concept: Applied dravya-yoga (formulation) and kriyā (procedure) to counter decline and preserve yield.
Application: Use topical and irrigation-based interventions promptly when fruit damage appears, integrating botanical and dietary dravyas as plant-support measures.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Agni Purana medicinal remedies / herbal therapeutics)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An orchard healer/gardener prepares a paste of viḍaṅga and ghee, applies it to a tree trunk/branches, then waters with cool water; nearby are bowls of kulattha, māṣa, mudga, yava, and tila as adjunct ingredients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, vivid herbal-preparation scene: mortar and pestle grinding viḍaṅga, ghee pot, gardener applying lepa to tree; cool water poured from a vessel; grains and sesame depicted in stylized heaps; recovering fruits on branches.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central tree with gold-highlighted fruits; foreground shows ornate bowls of viḍaṅga and ghṛta, and separate bowls of kulattha/māṣa/mudga/yava/tila; attendant applying paste; shimmering gold accents on vessels.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, stepwise instructional composition: (1) mix viḍaṅga + ghṛta, (2) apply paste, (3) irrigate with cool water; labeled ingredients arranged neatly; clear, calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed horticultural remedy: apothecary-like preparation of paste, careful application to bark, irrigation channel with cool water; realistic rendering of pulses and sesame in small trays; orchard background with damaged vs restored fruit clusters."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पङ्काक्तान् = पङ्क+आक्तान्; सेचयेच्छीतवारिणा = सेचयेत्+शीतवारिणा; कुलथैश् च = कुलथैः+च; मासैर् = माषैः; मुद्गैर् = मुद्गैः; यवैस् = यवैः (before t-); तिलैः unchanged.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 281.9 (pruning to prevent aphalatā); Agni Purana 281.8 (watering rules)
FAQs
It gives a practical horticultural-therapeutic method: smear a vidanga–ghee paste on the affected plant and irrigate with cool water, alongside the use of pulses/grains (horse-gram, black gram, green gram, barley, sesame) as remedial inputs to check fruit spoilage.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied knowledge—here, an Ayurveda-aligned, field-level prescription for plant/fruit protection—showing its coverage of agriculture, materia medica, and pragmatic household economy.
By protecting food-bearing trees and preventing loss of produce, the instruction supports dharmic livelihood and sustenance; safeguarding nourishment is traditionally treated as a meritorious, welfare-oriented act aligned with maintaining order and prosperity.