Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 5
Prātyahika-Rāja-Karma
Daily Duties of a King
वह्नौ पवित्रान् जुहुयात् तर्पयेदुदकैः पितॄन् बहुक्षयव्ययायामिति ख , छ , ट च आसीनः कर्मविच्छेदमित्यादिः, राजा समाश्रयेदित्यन्तः पाठः ज पुस्तके नास्ति दद्यात्सकाञ्चीं धेनुं द्विजाशीर्वादसंयुतः
vahnau pavitrān juhuyāt tarpayedudakaiḥ pitṝn bahukṣayavyayāyāmiti kha , cha , ṭa ca āsīnaḥ karmavicchedamityādiḥ, rājā samāśrayedityantaḥ pāṭhaḥ ja pustake nāsti dadyātsakāñcīṃ dhenuṃ dvijāśīrvādasaṃyutaḥ
He should offer purifying substances as oblations into the sacred fire, and he should satisfy the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits) with libations of water. (Some recensions add variant readings such as “in a time of great loss and expenditure …”; some also read phrases like “while seated … ‘interruption of rites’ …”; and in one manuscript the ending “the king should take refuge …” is absent.) He should then gift a cow adorned with a waist-belt, accompanied by the blessings of Brahmins.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) to Vasiṣṭha (implied frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Householder/royal ritual protocol: homa with purifying offerings, pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and dāna (cow-gift) to secure auspiciousness, expiation, and social-religious merit; also notes textual variants for correct recitation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Homa, Pitṛ-tarpaṇa, and Cow-Gift (Dhenudāna) with Recensional Variants","lookup_keywords":["homa","pavitra-dravya","pitṛ-tarpaṇa","dhenudāna","pāṭha-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Offer purifying oblations into fire, perform water-libations to ancestors, and conclude with gifting an ornamented cow with brāhmaṇa blessings; be attentive to manuscript variants in the rite-text."}
Concept: Yajña–tarpaṇa–dāna triad: purification, ancestral obligation, and generosity sustain dharmic prosperity; correct wording matters in ritual efficacy.
Application: Maintain a standardized ritual manual while noting accepted variants; ensure dāna is accompanied by learned blessings and proper intention (saṅkalpa).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Śrāddha, Homa, Dāna-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Type: Ritual enclosure
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual hall with a blazing fire altar; the king/priest offers purifying oblations, then pours water for pitṛ-tarpaṇa; finally a decorated cow with a waist-belt is gifted to a brāhmaṇa who pronounces blessings; marginal scribes note variant readings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, yajña-śālā with homa-kuṇḍa flames, priest and king offering ladles of ghee, pitṛ-tarpaṇa with water in cupped hands, decorated cow with ornate belt, brāhmaṇas giving āśīrvāda, palm-leaf manuscript margin showing pāṭha-bheda","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf fire altar and ritual vessels, richly adorned cow with jeweled waist-belt, brāhmaṇa receiving dāna with blessing gesture, luminous flames and embossed ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear didactic layout: homa sequence, tarpaṇa posture, then dhenudāna handover; fine detailing of ritual implements (sruk, kamaṇḍalu, kuśa)","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court-sponsored yajña scene with attendants, fire altar, water libation to ancestors, gifting of a decorated cow to a scholar; scribes with manuscripts indicating variant lines"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Raga Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tarpayedudakaiḥ → तर्पयेत् उदकैः; dadyātsakāñcīṃ → दद्यात् स-काञ्चीम्. The bracketed manuscript notes (kha/cha/ṭa etc.) are editorial and excluded from pada analysis.
Related Themes: Agni Purana dāna-vidhi sections (cow-gifts and their fruits); Agni Purana śrāddha/tarpaṇa passages; Agni Purana homa procedures and dravya lists
FAQs
It prescribes a combined rite: homa of purifying offerings into Agni, tarpana (water-libations) to the Pitṛs, and concluding dāna—specifically gifting an adorned cow with Brahmin benedictions.
It functions as a compact ritual handbook entry, integrating fire-ritual technique, ancestor-propitiation, and charity norms, while also preserving recensional notes—showing the text’s breadth (dharma + ritual practice + transmission history).
Homa and tarpana are framed as purification and ancestral satisfaction, while cow-gift with Brahmin blessings is a merit-generating act (puṇya) intended to stabilize dharma and mitigate ritual or karmic deficits.