Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 29
Chapter 279 — सिद्धौषधानि (Siddhauṣadhāni, “Perfected Medicines”) — Colophon/Closure
क्रमशो ऽथ मनुष्याणां हीयमानासु हीयते रात्रिभुक्तदिनानाञ्च वयसश् च तथैव च
kramaśo 'tha manuṣyāṇāṃ hīyamānāsu hīyate rātribhuktadinānāñca vayasaś ca tathaiva ca
Así, para los seres humanos, conforme las noches y los días ya consumidos (es decir, transcurridos) disminuyen gradualmente, del mismo modo disminuye proporcionalmente la duración de la vida.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s instruction to the sages, traditionally including Vasiṣṭha)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ऽथ = अथ (avagraha); हीयमानासु (locative plural feminine participle) taken as adhikaraṇa; रात्रिभुक्तदिनानाम् = रात्रि + भुक्त + दिनानाम्; तथैव = तथा + एव.
FAQs
It conveys kāla-jñāna (knowledge of time): lifespan is reduced continuously as days and nights pass, urging practical vigilance in dharma and disciplined living.
Beyond ritual and iconography, the Agni Purana also preserves philosophical instruction on time (kāla), aging (vayas), and mortality—showing its wide scope across ethics, metaphysics, and practical life-guidance.
It functions as a reminder of impermanence: since life is steadily “spent,” one should prioritize meritorious action (puṇya), restraint, and devotion before time exhausts one’s allotted span.