Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 67
Abhiṣeka-mantrāḥ
Consecration Mantras
कालञ्जरश् च केदारो रुद्रकोटिस्तथैव च वाराणसी महातीर्थं वदर्याश्रम एव च
kālañjaraś ca kedāro rudrakoṭistathaiva ca vārāṇasī mahātīrthaṃ vadaryāśrama eva ca
Kālañjara, Kedāra y también Rudrakoṭi; Vārāṇasī, el gran tīrtha, y asimismo el eremitorio de Badarī—éstos son lugares de peregrinación eminentes.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage prioritization to major Shaiva and pan-Indic tīrthas (Kedāra, Kāśī, Badarī) for vrata, snāna, and darśana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Mahā-tīrtha-nāma: Kālañjara–Kedāra–Kāśī–Badarī","lookup_keywords":["Kalanjara","Kedara","Rudrakoti","Varanasi","Badaryashrama"],"quick_summary":"Names a cluster of eminent tīrthas—especially Kāśī and Kedāra—serving as a concise index for tīrtha-yātrā and merit-oriented observances."}
Concept: Mahā-tīrthas as concentrated loci of dharma, tapas, and liberation-oriented merit.
Application: Perform darśana, snāna, rudrābhiṣeka/śiva-pūjā at Śaiva sites; undertake japa and dāna in Kāśī; observe niyamas and āśrama-dharma at Badarī.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred itinerary montage: snowy Kedāra shrine, ghats of Vārāṇasī with lamps, ascetics at Badarī hermitage under badarī trees, and a rugged Kālañjara hill-fort silhouette.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four-panel sacred montage: Kedara in Himalaya, Kashi ghats with deepa, Rudrakoti with Shiva symbols, Badari ashrama with sages; bold outlines, devotional calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central golden Kashi Vishvanatha/ghat motif with gold leaf, side vignettes of Kedara temple in snow and Badari ashrama with sages, ornate borders and rich reds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean labeled vignettes of Kalanjara, Kedara, Rudrakoti, Varanasi, Badaryashrama; fine brushwork, didactic composition, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed Varanasi riverfront with boats and lamps, inset scenes of Himalayan Kedara and forested Badari hermitage, architectural precision and naturalistic landscape"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कालञ्जरश् च = कालञ्जरः + च; रुद्रकोटिस्तथैव = रुद्रकोटिः + तथा + एव; वदर्याश्रम एव = वदर्याश्रमः + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 219 (continuation of tīrtha lists)
FAQs
It imparts tīrtha-vidyā: a practical identification of high-merit pilgrimage sites (tīrthas) to be visited/remembered for accruing religious merit and purification.
By cataloguing major pan-Indian sacred centers (Kāśī, Kedāra, Badarī, etc.), it functions like a geographic-religious index—one of the Agni Purāṇa’s hallmark encyclopedic lists spanning places, rites, and dharma.
Naming and honoring these mahātīrthas signals places traditionally believed to intensify purification (pāpa-kṣaya) and merit (puṇya), especially through pilgrimage, worship of Śiva/Vişṇu-associated sanctuaries, and sacred remembrance.