Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 36
Āgneya-Purāṇa-māhātmya
The Greatness and Self-Testimony of the Agni Purāṇa
स ब्रह्मलोकमाप्नोति कुलानां शतमुद्धरेत् एकं श्लोकं पठेद्यस्तु पापपङ्काद्विमुच्यते
sa brahmalokamāpnoti kulānāṃ śatamuddharet ekaṃ ślokaṃ paṭhedyastu pāpapaṅkādvimucyate
Er erlangt die Brahmaloka und erlöst hundert Generationen seiner Linie. Wer aber auch nur eine einzige Śloka rezitiert, wird aus dem Sündensumpf befreit.
Lord Agni (narrating the phala of recitation to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Stotra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Daily or occasional recitation of even a single shloka for purification, lineage uplift (pitri-anugraha), and aspiration toward Brahmaloka.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Patha-phala (Merit of reciting even one shloka)","lookup_keywords":["patha-mahatmya","eka-shloka","brahmaloka","kula-uddhara","papa-panka"],"quick_summary":"Recitation is praised as so potent that even one verse frees from the mire of sin; fuller engagement is said to lead to Brahmaloka and benefit one’s lineage."}
Alamkara Type: Rupaka
Concept: Shravana/patha as a direct purifier; minimal practice (one shloka) still yields transformative merit.
Application: Adopt a sustainable vow: recite one verse daily with attention (shraddha), gradually expanding to chapters; pair with ethical conduct for steadier purification.
Khanda Section: Stotra-Phala / Patha-Mahatmya (Merit of Recitation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Cosmic realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee recites a single shloka from a manuscript; dark 'mire' of sin depicted as a swamp dissolving into light; ancestors behind are uplifted toward a luminous realm.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized devotee chanting with palm-leaf text, swirling dark panka below transforming into golden light, faint ancestral figures rising, calm shanta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-work radiance around the reciter, symbolic lotus path to Brahmaloka above, ancestors in smaller panels, ornate frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear didactic composition: reciter seated, text open, speech-scroll with one shloka, allegorical swamp turning to clean water, subtle halos.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-devotee reading one couplet, allegorical landscape where muddy ground clears, celestial ascent to Brahmaloka in the sky band, fine detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ब्रह्मलोकमाप्नोति→ब्रह्मलोकम् आप्नोति; शतमुद्धरेत्→शतम् उद्धरेत्; पठेद्यस्तु→पठेत् यः तु; पापपङ्काद्विमुच्यते→पापपङ्कात् विमुच्यते
Related Themes: Agni Purana 382 (Stotra-phala / patha-mahatmya cluster)
FAQs
It teaches the practical sādhanā of pāṭha (recitation): even minimal recitation—one śloka—functions as a purificatory act, while sustained recitation yields higher spiritual merit.
Alongside diverse subjects, the Agni Purana also preserves phala-śruti and pāṭha-mahātmya sections that codify how texts are to be used devotionally—linking doctrine, practice (recitation), and promised results (merit, purification).
It asserts that recitation generates puṇya sufficient to cleanse pāpa (sin) and even extend benefit to one’s lineage, culminating in the highest reward stated here: reaching Brahmaloka.