Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 25
Adhyaya 223 — Rājadharmāḥ
Royal Duties: Inner Palace Governance, Trivarga Protection, Courtly Conduct, and Aromatic/Hygienic Sciences
सह सर्जरसेनैवं धूपद्रव्यैकविंशतिः धूपद्रव्यगणादस्मादेकविंशाद्यथेच्छया
saha sarjarasenaivaṃ dhūpadravyaikaviṃśatiḥ dhūpadravyagaṇādasmādekaviṃśādyathecchayā
Así, junto con la resina del árbol śarja, estas sustancias para el incienso suman veintiuna. De este conjunto de materiales de incienso, puede elegirse veintiún ingredientes según la preferencia de cada cual.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, continuing the Agni Purana’s ritual-technical discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Standardization of dhūpa-kalpa: defining a canonical set of 21 incense substances (including śarja resin) and allowing customizable selection for ritual fumigation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dhūpa-dravya-gaṇa (21 Incense Substances) — Śarja-rasa Included; Optional Selection","lookup_keywords":["dhūpa-kalpa","śarja rasa","ekaviṃśati","incense substances","selection rule"],"quick_summary":"The text fixes a recognized group of twenty-one dhūpa ingredients (with śarja resin) and permits choosing a preferred set from the group for practical ritual use."}
Concept: Ritual correctness balances śāstra-standard groups with deśa-kāla (place-time) flexibility via permitted selection.
Application: Follow the canonical ingredient-group as a reference; choose available and suitable aromatics without violating the intended dhūpa function.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dhupa-kalpa / Incense formulation and ritual fumigation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritualist composes an incense blend from a displayed set of twenty-one substances, adding śarja resin, then offers dhūpa before a shrine while smoke rises in controlled curls.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, shrine interior with lamp and incense burner, artisan selecting from many small bowls (21), śarja resin highlighted, stylized smoke patterns, sacred calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, deity shrine with gold foil aura, ornate dhūpa-dāna vessel, bowls of ingredients arranged in rows, rich gold accents on containers","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional panel-like composition: row of 21 labeled bowls, practitioner choosing subsets, then offering at altar, precise linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, workshop-to-shrine narrative: perfumer blending resins with scale, then courtly shrine offering, delicate smoke and architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sarjarasenaivaṃ = sarja-rasena + evam. dhūpadravyaikaviṃśatiḥ = dhūpa-dravya-eka-viṃśatiḥ. dhūpadravyagaṇādasmāt = dhūpa-dravya-gaṇāt + asmāt. ekaviṃśādyathecchayā = eka-viṃśāt + yathā + icchayā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 223 (Dhūpa-kalpa; preceding dravya lists culminating in 21)
FAQs
It codifies a standard count (twenty-one) of dhūpa-dravyas (incense substances) and permits flexible selection of a 21-ingredient set from the prescribed group, with śarja-resin included as a key component.
By treating worship materials with near-pharmacological classification and combinatorial rules (fixed totals with optional selection), it presents ritual practice as a technical system—one strand of the Agni Purana’s broad, manual-like coverage of applied knowledge.
Properly prepared incense supports purity of the worship space and the offering-process, aiding devotional focus and ritual sanctification, which are traditionally linked with merit (puṇya) and removal of ritual impurity.