Agni Purana — Mantra-shastra, Shloka 13
Chapter 301 — सूर्यार्चनं
Sūryārcana) / Sun-worship (closing colophon only
भृङ्गहेमरसन्दोषातावती चुञ्चुकं मधु घृतैः पक्वा निशा छाया शुष्का लिप्या तु रञ्जनी
bhṛṅgahemarasandoṣātāvatī cuñcukaṃ madhu ghṛtaiḥ pakvā niśā chāyā śuṣkā lipyā tu rañjanī
A preparation is made with bhṛṅga, hema-rasa, and sandoṣā, together with tāvatī and cuñcuka, cooked with honey and ghee; (also) niśā and chāyā—dried—are to be applied as a paste for colouring (i.e., as a dye/tinging unguent).
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the usual Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Preparation of medicated ghee/honey cooked formulation and external paste used as a dye/tinging unguent (rañjanī/lepa), relevant to dermatological/cosmetic applications.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Madhu–Ghṛta Pāka and Rañjanī Lepa (Niśā–Chāyā)","lookup_keywords":["bhringa","madhu-ghrita-paka","nisha","lepa","ranjani"],"quick_summary":"Cook specified herbs in honey and ghee to make a preparation; additionally apply dried niśā and chāyā as a paste for colouring/tinging, indicating a cosmetic/dermal use of bhaiṣajya."}
Concept: Transformation of substances through saṃskāra (cooking/pāka, drying) to achieve targeted external effects.
Application: Highlights pharmaceutical processing (pāka, śoṣaṇa) and route of administration (external lepa) as determinants of outcome.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Bheshaja/Dravya-guna: medicated ghee, honey-based preparations, dyes/unguents)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Herbs are cooked in a pan with honey and ghee; separately, dried powders are ground with liquid to form a paste applied as a dye/tinging unguent.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, warm ochres and greens, kitchen-pharmacy scene with bubbling ghṛta-madhu pāka, mortar and pestle grinding dried niśā and chāyā, calm instructional mood, decorative floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on the cooking vessel and ladle, vivid depiction of honey and ghee, bowls of powdered herbs, figure applying a small amount of paste to skin/hair as rañjanī, ornate background","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, stepwise instructional composition: ingredients arrayed, cooking stage, drying stage, paste application; fine linework and soft colors, emphasis on technique","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed atelier-like apothecary with labeled jars, attendant stirring ghee-honey mixture, another preparing a paste, delicate patterns and realistic utensils"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भृङ्ग+हेम+रस+अन्दोषात्→भृङ्गहेमरसन्दोषात्; (पाठे ‘...दोषातावती’ इति संधिः: दोषात्+आवती→दोषातावती)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 301 (bhaiṣajya/dravya-yoga continuum)
FAQs
It gives an Ayurvedic recipe-format: specific named drugs are processed by cooking with honey and ghee (a ghṛta-style preparation) and separately instructs a dried-herb paste application used for ‘rañjanī’ (tinging/colouring), indicating practical pharmaceutics and topical use.
Beyond myth and ritual, it preserves technical, list-like medical and cosmetic knowledge—drug names, processing media (madhu, ghṛta), and method (pakvā, lipyā)—showing the Purana functioning as a compendium of applied sciences (Ayurveda/dravya-guṇa and preparations).
While primarily practical, such Ayurvedic instructions are traditionally framed as dharmic self-care: maintaining health and purity supports ritual capability (śauca) and sustained performance of duties (dharma), thereby indirectly aiding merit through a well-maintained body.