Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 25
Adhyaya 223 — Rājadharmāḥ
Royal Duties: Inner Palace Governance, Trivarga Protection, Courtly Conduct, and Aromatic/Hygienic Sciences
सह सर्जरसेनैवं धूपद्रव्यैकविंशतिः धूपद्रव्यगणादस्मादेकविंशाद्यथेच्छया
saha sarjarasenaivaṃ dhūpadravyaikaviṃśatiḥ dhūpadravyagaṇādasmādekaviṃśādyathecchayā
Thus, together with the resin of the śarja tree, these make twenty-one incense-substances. From this group of incense materials, one may select twenty-one ingredients according to one’s preference.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, continuing the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Standardization of dhūpa-kalpa: defining a canonical set of 21 incense substances (including śarja resin) and allowing customizable selection for ritual fumigation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dhūpa-dravya-gaṇa (21 Incense Substances) — Śarja-rasa Included; Optional Selection","lookup_keywords":["dhūpa-kalpa","śarja rasa","ekaviṃśati","incense substances","selection rule"],"quick_summary":"The text fixes a recognized group of twenty-one dhūpa ingredients (with śarja resin) and permits choosing a preferred set from the group for practical ritual use."}
Concept: Ritual correctness balances śāstra-standard groups with deśa-kāla (place-time) flexibility via permitted selection.
Application: Follow the canonical ingredient-group as a reference; choose available and suitable aromatics without violating the intended dhūpa function.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dhupa-kalpa / Incense formulation and ritual fumigation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist composes an incense blend from a displayed set of twenty-one substances, adding śarja resin, then offers dhūpa before a shrine while smoke rises in controlled curls.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, shrine interior with lamp and incense burner, artisan selecting from many small bowls (21), śarja resin highlighted, stylized smoke patterns, sacred calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, deity shrine with gold foil aura, ornate dhūpa-dāna vessel, bowls of ingredients arranged in rows, rich gold accents on containers","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional panel-like composition: row of 21 labeled bowls, practitioner choosing subsets, then offering at altar, precise linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, workshop-to-shrine narrative: perfumer blending resins with scale, then courtly shrine offering, delicate smoke and architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarjarasenaivaṃ = sarja-rasena + evam. dhūpadravyaikaviṃśatiḥ = dhūpa-dravya-eka-viṃśatiḥ. dhūpadravyagaṇādasmāt = dhūpa-dravya-gaṇāt + asmāt. ekaviṃśādyathecchayā = eka-viṃśāt + yathā + icchayā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 223 (Dhūpa-kalpa; preceding dravya lists culminating in 21)
FAQs
It codifies a standard count (twenty-one) of dhūpa-dravyas (incense substances) and permits flexible selection of a 21-ingredient set from the prescribed group, with śarja-resin included as a key component.
By treating worship materials with near-pharmacological classification and combinatorial rules (fixed totals with optional selection), it presents ritual practice as a technical system—one strand of the Agni Purana’s broad, manual-like coverage of applied knowledge.
Properly prepared incense supports purity of the worship space and the offering-process, aiding devotional focus and ritual sanctification, which are traditionally linked with merit (puṇya) and removal of ritual impurity.