Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 2
Prayāga-māhātmya
Conclusion Notice
रुद्र उवाच गौरीक्षेत्रं न मुक्तं वै अविमुक्तं ततः स्मृतं अन्नदानाद्दिवमिति ख , ग , घ , ङ , छ , ज च तीर्थं वानरकं परमिति ख , ग , घ , ङ च वाराणसीमिति ख , घ च वसतां शृणुतां हरिमिति ग , घ , ङ च जप्तं तप्तं दत्तममविमुक्ते विलाक्षयं
rudra uvāca gaurīkṣetraṃ na muktaṃ vai avimuktaṃ tataḥ smṛtaṃ annadānāddivamiti kha , ga , gha , ṅa , cha , ja ca tīrthaṃ vānarakaṃ paramiti kha , ga , gha , ṅa ca vārāṇasīmiti kha , gha ca vasatāṃ śṛṇutāṃ harimiti ga , gha , ṅa ca japtaṃ taptaṃ dattamamavimukte vilākṣayaṃ
Rudra sprach: „Dies ist das heilige Gebiet der Gaurī; wahrlich, es ist ‘nicht verlassen’, darum wird es als Avimukta erinnert. ‘Durch die Gabe von Speise erlangt man den Himmel.’ Es ist das höchste Tīrtha, genannt Vānaraka, und es heißt auch Vārāṇasī. Für die dort Wohnenden und die dort Hörenden ist die Frucht Hari. Was immer als Japa (Rezitation) gesprochen, als Tapas (Askese) geübt und als Dāna (Gabe) in Avimukta gespendet wird, wird unvergänglich.“
Rudra (Śiva)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage planning for Kāśī/Avimukta with emphasis on annadāna, śravaṇa, japa, tapas, and dāna as merit-multipliers within the kṣetra.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Avimukta (Gaurīkṣetra) Mahimā: Annadāna and Akṣaya-phala","lookup_keywords":["Avimukta","Gaurīkṣetra","annadāna","Vānaraka","Vārāṇasī"],"quick_summary":"Avimukta (Kāśī) is declared ‘never forsaken’ and thus uniquely merit-bearing. Acts like annadāna, japa, tapas, and dāna performed there yield imperishable (akṣaya) results."}
Concept: Deśa-viśeṣa (kṣetra) intensifies karma-phala; dāna and śravaṇa in a sacred field become akṣaya.
Application: Prioritize annadāna and disciplined japa/tapas during Kāśī-vāsa or yātrā; cultivate śravaṇa (listening to kathā/śāstra) as a meritorious act.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Kashi/Avimukta-Kshetra glorification; pilgrimage and dāna-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rudra teaching the glory of Avimukta: Kāśī as Gaurī’s kṣetra, pilgrims offering food-gifts, ascetics doing japa and tapas, and the idea of ‘akṣaya’ merit radiating from the sacred city.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style: Śiva (Rudra) seated in teaching posture with Pārvatī beside, stylized Vārāṇasī ghāṭas in the background, devotees performing annadāna with banana-leaf meals, warm earthy palette, bold outlines, sacred aura around Avimukta.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central Rudra with ornate crown and prabhāmaṇḍala, gold-leaf highlights on temple spires and ghāṭa lamps, devotees offering bowls of rice (annadāna), inscription-like labels ‘Avimukta’ and ‘Vārāṇasī’, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional composition showing three acts—japa with mālā, tapas with seated ascetic, dāna with food distribution—set against a simplified map-like Kāśī skyline; delicate linework, soft shading, minimal gold.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed riverside cityscape of Vārāṇasī with ghāṭas, Brahmins distributing food, yogis chanting, Śiva as a sage-like teacher in a pavilion; fine architectural detail, pastel washes, calligraphic captioning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi resolved: अन्नदानाद्दिवम् → अन्नदानात् + दिवम्; वाराणसीमिति → वाराणसीम् + इति; वसतां शृणुतां → वस्(शतृ) षष्ठी बहुवचन + श्रु लोट्; दत्तममविमुक्ते → दत्तम् + अम् + अविमुक्ते (अम् appears as a textual/metrical filler or variant). Variant markers (ख,ग,घ,ङ,छ,ज) omitted from pada list.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Tīrtha-māhātmya sections on Kāśī/Avimukta and dāna-vidhi (adjacent verses in adhyāya 112)
FAQs
It teaches tīrtha-māhātmya praxis: residence (vāsa), hearing (śravaṇa), mantra-recitation (japa), austerity (tapas), and especially food-charity (annadāna) performed in Avimukta (Kāśī) yield imperishable (akṣaya) merit.
Alongside ritual manuals and other sciences, the Agni Purana catalogs sacred geographies (tīrthas) and their karmic outcomes—here mapping Kāśī/Avimukta’s names and specifying the spiritual ‘returns’ of core practices like dāna, japa, and śravaṇa.
It asserts akṣaya-phala: acts of devotion and charity done in Avimukta do not perish in their merit, with annadāna singled out as a direct cause of attaining heaven.