Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 41
अध्याय २७८: सिद्धौषधानि
Siddha Medicines / Perfected Remedies
शीततोयान्नपानञ्च तिलानां विप्र भक्षणम् द्विजदार्ढ्यकरं प्रोक्तं तथा तुष्टिकरम्परम्
śītatoyānnapānañca tilānāṃ vipra bhakṣaṇam dvijadārḍhyakaraṃ proktaṃ tathā tuṣṭikaramparam
O brāhmaṇa, taking cool water along with food and drink, and the twice-born one’s consumption of sesame, is declared to bestow strength and robustness upon the dvija, and to be supremely satisfying and merit-yielding.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Guide śrāddha/charity etiquette: offering cool water with food/drink and sesame consumption by brāhmaṇas as merit-yielding and strengthening.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śrāddha-Dāna: Śīta-toya with Anna-Pāna and Tila-bhakṣaṇa","lookup_keywords":["śrāddha dāna","śīta toya","anna pāna","tila","dvija dārḍhya"],"quick_summary":"In ancestral-rite charity contexts, cool water with food/drink and sesame consumption is praised as strengthening for the twice-born and highly satisfying (tṛpti/tuṣṭi) in ritual merit."}
Concept: Dāna and śrāddha acts yield tuṣṭi (satisfaction/merit) and support social-ritual order through proper offerings.
Application: During śrāddha, include tila and śīta-toya with anna-pāna offerings to brāhmaṇas per rite; emphasize purity, timing, and respectful feeding.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha-dāna & Pitṛ-kriyā (Ritual charity and ancestral rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shraddha-bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha setting where cool water is offered alongside food and drink; brāhmaṇas partake of sesame preparations, conveying ritual satisfaction and strength.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, śrāddha scene with banana-leaf meal, brass water vessel with cool water, sesame bowls, solemn householders and seated brāhmaṇas, muted sacred palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted vessels and lamps, central offering of tila and śīta-toya, brāhmaṇa receiving dāna, ornate borders, auspicious calm","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional tableau of śrāddha feeding arrangement: placement of water, anna, pāna, tila; refined linework and gentle colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly domestic ritual scene with detailed textiles, attendants serving cool water and sesame sweets, brāhmaṇas seated in a row, fine architectural backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शीततोयान्नपानञ्च → शीत-तोय-अन्न-पानम् + च; तुष्टिकरम्परम् → तुष्टिकरम् + परम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana śrāddha-kalpa/dāna sections near the same adhyāya cluster (278)
FAQs
It prescribes the ritual efficacy of anna-pāna (food and drink) with cool water, and tila (sesame) as a meritorious offering/consumable in dāna–śrāddha contexts, emphasizing its strengthening and highly satisfying effect.
It records a practical, results-oriented rule within the Purāṇa’s broad manual of dharma: specific items (cool water, food/drink, sesame) and their stated phala (benefit), functioning like a ritual handbook alongside other domains covered in the text.
By prioritizing anna-dāna, jala-dāna, and tila-related giving/feeding, the verse frames these acts as high-merit deeds that generate tuṣṭi (ritual satisfaction/pleasing effect), traditionally understood to support auspicious karmic results and purification.