Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 4
Chapter 109 — Tīrtha-mahātmya
The Glory of Sacred Pilgrimage Places
अदत्वा काञ्चनं गाश् च दरिद्रो नाम जायते तीर्थाभिओगमने तत् स्याद्यद्यज्ञेनाप्यते फलं
adatvā kāñcanaṃ gāś ca daridro nāma jāyate tīrthābhiogamane tat syādyadyajñenāpyate phalaṃ
Wer kein Gold und keine Kühe spendet, wird als „arm“ bezeichnet. Doch durch die Pilgerfahrt zu den tīrthas erlangt man eben jene Frucht, die selbst durch ein Opfer (yajña) gewonnen wird.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Balances dāna and tīrtha: while gold/cow-gifts are praised, tīrtha-yātrā can yield yajña-like fruit even for those unable to give, reframing ‘poverty’ as lack of giving rather than lack of means.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Dāna (gold, cows) and tīrtha-yātrā as yajña-phala equivalents","lookup_keywords":["dana","kancana","go-dana","tirtha-yatra","yajna-phala"],"quick_summary":"Not giving gold and cows is censured as ‘poverty’ in merit; yet pilgrimage to tīrthas can confer the same fruit as sacrifice, offering an alternative path to religious merit."}
Concept: Merit is cultivated through dāna and yātrā; tīrtha can function as a compensatory dharma for those limited in sacrificial resources.
Application: If unable to perform costly yajñas or large dānas, undertake disciplined tīrtha-yātrā; if able, combine yātrā with appropriate giving.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma & Tīrtha-yātrā (Gifts, charity, and pilgrimage merit)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor scene with gold and cows contrasted with a pilgrim walking to a tīrtha; the teaching emphasizes that pilgrimage can equal sacrifice-fruit.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split composition—left: go-dāna with cows and gold offered to a brāhmaṇa; right: pilgrim at a river-ford; central sage narrating; traditional flat perspective and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate go-dāna tableau with gold leaf highlighting coins and ornaments; secondary vignette of tīrtha bath; rich temple-like framing and decorative borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic illustration with labeled icons ‘kāñcana’, ‘gāḥ’, ‘tīrtha-yātrā’, ‘yajña-phala’; clean composition for instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: pastoral scene of cow-gift with attendants; distant procession to a riverside shrine; fine animal detailing and landscape depth; calligraphic caption about yajña-phala."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gāś ca = gāḥ + ca (visarga→ś); syādyat = syāt + yat (t+y sandhi); yajñenāpyate = yajñena + api + yate (a+a→ā; api+yate→apyate). Text has ‘tīrthābhiogamane’ likely for ‘tīrthābhigamane’ (orthographic/printing error).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Dāna-dharma catalogues (go-dāna, hiraṇya-dāna); Agni Purana: Tīrtha-mahātmyas comparing fruits to yajña
FAQs
It teaches the hierarchy and equivalence of merit (phala) among dharmic acts: dāna (notably gold and cow-gifts) and tīrtha-yātrā, stating that pilgrimage can yield the same fruit as a yajña.
It exemplifies the text’s dharma-śāstra-like coverage by mapping practical religious actions—charity, sacrifice, and pilgrimage—into a comparative framework of karmic results, a hallmark of Agni Purana’s wide-ranging instruction.
It frames spiritual progress as accessible: even if one has not performed major gifts like gold and cows, one may still attain high merit through tīrtha-yātrā, equating its fruit with that of sacrificial ritual.