Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 23
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
तच्च द्वादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्माण्डं तद्द्विजे ऽर्पयेत् भारते पर्वसमाप्तौ वस्त्रगन्धस्रगादिभिः
tacca dvādaśasāhasraṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ taddvije 'rpayet bhārate parvasamāptau vastragandhasragādibhiḥ
সেই দ্বাদশ-সহস্র-শ্লোকযুক্ত ব্রহ্মাণ্ডপুরাণ সেই ব্রাহ্মণকে অর্পণ করুক; আর ভারত (মহাভারত)-এর কোনো পর্ব সমাপ্তিতে বস্ত্র, সুগন্ধি, মালা ইত্যাদি দিয়ে তাঁকে সম্মান করুক।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Grantha-dāna and satkāra: gift the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa (twelve-thousand verses) to a qualified brāhmaṇa; at the completion of a Mahābhārata parvan, honor the reciter/teacher with cloth, perfumes, garlands, etc.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa-grantha-dāna and Bhārata-parvan-samāpti satkāra","lookup_keywords":["brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa dāna","dvādaśa-sahasra","dvija","bhārata parvan-samāpti","vastra-gandha-srag"],"quick_summary":"Donate the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa text to a brāhmaṇa; upon finishing a Mahābhārata section, perform honorific offerings—garments, fragrance, garlands—supporting śravaṇa/pravacana culture."}
Alamkara Type: Grantha-māhātmya (textual valorization)
Concept: Dharma is preserved by supporting transmission of śāstra/itihāsa—grantha-dāna and honoring teachers/reciters are meritorious duties.
Application: Sponsor manuscript/text gifting; institute end-of-recitation honoraria (vastra, gandha, srag) for pāṭhaka/vyākhyātā to sustain learning lineages.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Gifts, vows, and ritual donations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal assembly where a brāhmaṇa receives a bound manuscript labeled ‘Brahmāṇḍa (12,000)’, and a Mahābhārata recitation concludes with the patron offering garments, perfume, and flower garlands to the reciter.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sabhā scene with seated brāhmaṇas, patron presenting a palm-leaf Brahmāṇḍa manuscript, attendants holding folded cloth, perfume vessel, and garlands; lamps and temple pillars in background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly ornamented satkāra—gold-highlighted manuscript, lavish garlands, perfume flask, silk cloth with gold borders; recipient brāhmaṇa with halo; ornate arch and gold leaf accents.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction of end-of-parvan ceremony—reciter with Mahābhārata manuscript, patron offering vastra-gandha-srag; clear object rendering and gentle colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: literary salon after Bhārata parvan completion, patron gifting manuscript and honoraria, detailed textiles, perfume bottles, flower garlands, attentive audience, fine border illumination."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तच्च = तत् + च; तद्द्विजे = तत् + द्विजे; द्विजेऽर्पयेत् = द्विजे + अर्पयेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 271 (dāna-vidhi; Purāṇa/itihāsa gifting and phala)
FAQs
It prescribes a dāna-vidhi: gifting a specific Purāṇa text (the Brahmāṇḍa) to a qualified brāhmaṇa, and making completion-offerings (vastra, perfumes, garlands, etc.) at the end of each Mahābhārata parvan.
It shows the Agni Purāṇa functioning as a practical manual of dharma—linking textual study/recitation (Itihāsa-Purāṇa) with concrete ritual protocols (honoraria and gifts), alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, poetics).
Completing scriptural recitation and honoring the learned with prescribed gifts is framed as merit-generating (puṇya), supporting dharma through patronage of Vedic learning and sanctifying the completion of sacred study.