Adhyaya 79
Lāṅgalī and the Crystal-like Taila: Purity, Value, and Sin-Destroying Merit
Continuing the Brahma Khanda’s method of teaching through sacred substances and exemplary transformations, Sūta opens Adhyāya 79 with a wide setting—Kāvera and Vindhya regions, and the lands of Yavana, Cīna, and Nepal. Lāṅgalī is presented as an herb whose deliberate use disperses the fat of a Dānava, from which arises a crystal-like taila: sky-pure, white like lotus-fibre and conch-shell, yet subtly variegated. The lesson is then generalized: nothing equals jewels—or that which destroys sin—and skilled refinement at once bestows value. Thus the chapter bridges mythic causation and practical dharma, teaching that purity and craftsmanship can elevate matter into something precious and sin-destroying, preparing for later discussions of substances, rites, and disciplined action that yield spiritual results.
Shlokas
Verse 1
नामाष्टसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / कावेरविन्ध्ययवनचीननेपालभूमिषु / लाङ्गली व्यकिरन्मेदो दानवस्य प्रयत्नतः
Sūta said: “This is the seventy-ninth chapter. In the lands of Kāvera, Vindhya, the Yavanas, the Cīnas, and Nepal, the herb called Lāṅgalī, by deliberate effort, scattered the fat of a Dānava.”
Verse 2
आकाशशुद्धं तैलाख्यमुत्पन्नं स्फटिकं ततः / मृणालशङ्खधवलं किञ्चिद्वर्णान्तरन्वितम्
From that there arises a crystal-like substance called “taila”, purified like the sky—white as lotus-fibre and conch-shell, yet tinged with a slight variation of color.
Verse 3
न त्तुल्यं हि रत्नानामथवा पापनाशनम् / संस्कृतं शिल्पिना सद्यो मूल्यं किञ्चिल्लभेत्ततः (दा)
Truly, nothing equals jewels—or that which destroys sin. When refined by a skilled artisan, it at once gains some value thereby.
Frequently Asked Questions
These metaphors encode śuddhi: clarity, luminosity, and auspicious whiteness mark a substance as ritually and morally fit. In Purāṇic aesthetics, such purity signals both material excellence and spiritual efficacy, aligning the substance with sattva and pāpa-nāśana potential.
The chapter treats human agency—prayatna (deliberate effort) and the artisan’s skill—as dharmic instruments. Through saṃskāra, raw matter becomes valuable and ‘fit’ (yogya) for higher use, illustrating a broader karmic principle: right method and disciplined action convert potential into merit-bearing results.