Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 13
Vṛkṣāyurveda (The Science of Plant-Life) — Tree Placement, Muhūrta, Irrigation, Spacing, and Plant Remedies
मत्स्याम्भसा तु सेकेन वृद्धिर्भवति शाखिनः विडङ्गतण्डुलोपेतं मत्स्यं मांसं हि दोहदं सर्वेषामविशेषेण वृक्षाणां रोगमर्दनम्
matsyāmbhasā tu sekena vṛddhirbhavati śākhinaḥ viḍaṅgataṇḍulopetaṃ matsyaṃ māṃsaṃ hi dohadaṃ sarveṣāmaviśeṣeṇa vṛkṣāṇāṃ rogamardanam
Durch Bewässerung mit Fischwasser wird das Wachstum der Bäume gefördert. Fisch und Fleisch, verbunden mit Viḍaṅga und Reiskörnern, bilden eine nährende ‘Dohada’-Anwendung, die unterschiedslos die Krankheiten aller Bäume niederdrückt.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Use fish-water irrigation for vegetative growth; apply a dohada (nutritive application) of fish/meat with viḍaṅga and rice to suppress plant diseases broadly.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Matsyāmbhas-seka and Viḍaṅga-tandula-yukta dohada for vṛkṣa-roga-mardana","lookup_keywords":["matsyāmbhas","dohada","viḍaṅga","tandula","vṛkṣa-roga"],"quick_summary":"Fish-water promotes growth; a nutritive dohada made from fish and meat with viḍaṅga and rice acts as a general plant-disease suppressor."}
Concept: Bala (strength) and roga-nāśa (disease suppression) can be pursued together through properly compounded inputs.
Application: Integrated plant management: combine growth-promoting irrigation with disease-suppressing amendments rather than treating them separately.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Vṛkṣāyurveda / Horticulture and plant-disease remedies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A gardener pours fish-water at the base of a tree; another prepares a paste-like dohada mixture of fish, meat, viḍaṅga, and rice to apply around diseased trees, showing recovery with fresh shoots.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized fish-water vessel, tree with renewed green shoots, bowls of viḍaṅga berries and rice, decorative borders suggesting healing and growth","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, abundant tree with gold-highlighted leaves, attendants preparing dohada mixture in a mortar, auspicious recovery scene with fruits emerging","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition: left panel matsyāmbhas irrigation, right panel dohada preparation with viḍaṅga and tandula, clear depiction of application at root zone","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed horticultural workshop in a garden, fish-water poured from a ewer, mixture ground on a stone slab, subtle before/after depiction of diseased vs healthy foliage"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मत्स्याम्भसा = मत्स्य-अम्भसा; वृद्धिर्भवति = वृद्धि: भवति (विसर्ग-सन्धि); विडङ्गतण्डुलोपेतम् = विडङ्ग-तण्डुल-उपेतम्; सर्वेषामविशेषेण = सर्वेषाम् अविशेषेण.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 281 (Vṛkṣāyurveda)
FAQs
It teaches Vṛkṣāyurveda practice: irrigating with fish-water to promote growth, and applying a nutrient mixture of fish/meat with viḍaṅga and rice as a universal remedy to reduce tree diseases.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical agro-medical knowledge—organic fertilization, irrigation strategies, and plant-disease management—showing the Purāṇa’s coverage of applied sciences alongside ritual and doctrine.
By supporting tree health and productivity (a form of loka-hita), the instruction aligns with dharmic stewardship of living beings; nurturing trees is traditionally treated as meritorious because it sustains food, shade, and ecological welfare.