Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 19

Bala-graha-hara Bāla-tantram (बालग्रहहर बालतन्त्रम्) — Pediatric protection and graha-affliction management

Devanagari script

यावत्त्रयोदशाहं स्यादेवं धूपादिका क्रिया गृह्नाति मासिकं वत्सं पूतनासङ्कुली ग्रही

Transliteration

yāvattrayodaśāhaṃ syādevaṃ dhūpādikā kriyā gṛhnāti māsikaṃ vatsaṃ pūtanāsaṅkulī grahī

Translation

Solange die Heimsuchung des Kindes andauert, höchstens bis zu dreizehn Tagen, soll in dieser Weise das Ritual wie Räucherung (dhūpa) und Ähnliches vollzogen werden; denn die Grahī—Pūtanā samt ihrem Gefolge—ergreift ein einmonatiges Kind.

Word by Word

• yāvat: until / as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालपरिमाणार्थे (indeclinable; expressing duration: 'as long as/until')

• trayodaśa: thirteen
• trayodaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trayodaśan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम् (numeral adjective; neuter nom/acc sg)

• aham: day (period)
• aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (accusative singular; 'day' used as measure)

• syāt: may be / should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (may be/should be)

• evam: thus / in this manner
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• dhūpa-ādikā: beginning with fumigation (etc.)
• dhūpa-ādikā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्; 'धूपः आदिः यस्याः सा' (tatpuruṣa; feminine nom sg)

• kriyā: rite / procedure
• kriyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• gṛhṇāti: seizes / afflicts / takes hold
• gṛhṇāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• māsikam: one-month-old
• māsikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māsika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; 'माससम्बन्धि' (accusative singular qualifying vatsa)

• vatsam: calf / child
• vatsam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनम् (accusative singular)

• pūtanā-saṅkulī: infested with Pūtanās (evil spirits)
• pūtanā-saṅkulī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūtanā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkulin (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम्; 'पूतनाभिः सङ्कुला' (tatpuruṣa; feminine nom sg)

• grahī: a seizer/afflicter (graha)
• grahī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grahin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: yāvattrayodaśāhaṃ → yāvat + trayodaśa + aham; syādevaṃ → syāt + evam.

Characters & Entities

• Pūtanā
• Grahī (Graha)

FAQs

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

It prescribes a time-bound protective regimen—performing fumigation (dhūpa) and related rites for up to thirteen days—specifically addressing infant graha-afflictions attributed to Pūtanā and her host.

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

It blends pediatric health concerns (bāla-roga) with graha-doṣa diagnostics and ritual therapeutics (dhūpa-kriyā), showing how the Agni Purana integrates medicine, demonology/folk pathology, and ritual practice in a single instructional framework.

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

By performing prescribed purificatory protections during the vulnerable early days, the household seeks both immediate safeguarding of the child and removal/appeasement of harmful influences (grahas), aligning domestic care with dharmic purification.