Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 5

Mantras for Worship Beginning with the Five-Syllabled

Mantra) — Concluding Colophon (Chapter 304 end

Devanagari script

शालग्रामे महायोगं हरिं गोबर्धनाचले पिण्डारके चतुर्वाहुं शङ्खोद्धारे च शङ्खिनम्

Transliteration

śālagrāme mahāyogaṃ hariṃ gobardhanācale piṇḍārake caturvāhuṃ śaṅkhoddhāre ca śaṅkhinam

Translation

শালগ্রামে হরিকে মহাযোগী রূপে ধ্যান করা উচিত, গোবর্ধন পর্বতে হরিকে স্মরণ করা; পিণ্ডারকে চতুর্বাহুকে এবং শঙ্খোদ্ধারে শঙ্খধারী প্রভুকে।

Word by Word

• शालग्रामे: at Śālagrāma
• शालग्रामे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शालग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—शाल + ग्राम (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय)

• महायोगम्: Mahāyoga (great yogin/form)
• महायोगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—महान् + योगः (कर्मधारय)

• हरिम्: Hari
• हरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• गोबर्धनाचले: on Govardhana mountain
• गोबर्धनाचले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोवर्धनाचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—गोवर्धन + अचल (तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय)

• पिण्डारके: at Piṇḍāraka
• पिण्डारके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्डारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• चतुर्वाहुम्: the four-armed one
• चतुर्वाहुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्वाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—चतुर् (संख्या) + बाहु (द्विगु)

• शङ्खोद्धारे: at Śaṅkhoddhāra
• शङ्खोद्धारे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खोद्धार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—शङ्ख + उद्धार (तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शङ्खिनम्: the conch-bearer
• शङ्खिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: Tirtha

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Śālagrāma
• Govardhana
• Piṇḍāraka
• Śaṅkhoddhāra
• Śaṅkha (conch)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches kṣetra-wise dhyāna/saṅkalpa: meditating on Vishnu in specific iconographic aspects tied to particular tīrthas—Mahāyogin at Śālagrāma, Caturvāhu at Piṇḍāraka, and Śaṅkhin (conch-bearing) at Śaṅkhoddhāra—useful for pilgrimage worship and site-specific pūjā.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

By cataloging sacred geography (tīrthas) together with precise theological/iconographic identifiers of Hari, it functions like a reference index for pilgrimage, temple practice, and devotional visualization—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark ‘compendium’ modes.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Kṣetra-specific remembrance and worship of Vishnu is presented as a purifying, merit-producing practice: aligning one’s devotion with renowned holy places and established forms of Hari is traditionally held to intensify puṇya and support liberation-oriented devotion (bhakti) and inner steadiness (yoga).