Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 3
Mantras for the Parasol and Other Royal/Worship Emblems (छत्रादिमन्त्रादयः)
यथाम्बुदश्छादयते शिवायैनां वसुन्धरां तथाच्छादय राजानं विजयारोग्यवृद्धये
yathāmbudaśchādayate śivāyaināṃ vasundharāṃ tathācchādaya rājānaṃ vijayārogyavṛddhaye
Así como una nube de lluvia cubre esta tierra para su bienestar, así también cubre (protectoramente) al rey, para el aumento de la victoria y la salud.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Rajadharma","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Protective invocation over the king (often via the parasol/royal canopy) to ensure victory, health, and prosperity—used in coronation processions, battlefield departures, and daily court maṅgala rites.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Rāja-ācchādana (protective covering) for vijaya-ārogya-vṛddhi","lookup_keywords":["rājā-rakṣā","ācchādana","megha-upamā","vijaya","ārogya"],"quick_summary":"Uses the cloud-covering analogy to prescribe a protective ‘covering’ of the king—ritually and symbolically—to promote victory and health."}
Alamkara Type: Upamā (simile)
Concept: Ruler’s welfare is tied to the land’s welfare; protective kingship mirrors nature’s beneficence (cloud sustaining earth).
Application: Frame governance as sheltering care; employ auspicious rites to reinforce the king’s duty to protect and nourish subjects.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, royal protection rites, and prosperity-invocations)
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king is ceremonially covered/protected by a parasol or canopy, likened to a rain-cloud shading the earth; attendants hold the chhatra while priests recite for victory and health.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king under large parasol, cloud motifs above, earth personified as fertile landscape, priests chanting, strong yet serene palette, protective symbolism emphasized.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, enthroned king with ornate parasol, gold foil on canopy and jewelry, subtle cloud patterning, inscription-like mantra band, auspicious court setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, processional scene: attendants holding parasol precisely over king’s head, priest reciting, clear depiction of ‘covering’ action, soft colors and fine lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, royal procession with parasol bearer, monsoon clouds in sky, detailed textiles and faces, dynamic yet orderly composition, emphasis on protective canopy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यथाम्बुदश्छादयते → यथा अम्बुदः छादयते; शिवायैनाम् → शिवाय एनाम्; तथाच्छादय → तथा छादय; विजयारोग्यवृद्धये → विजय-आरोग्य-वृद्धये (dvandva).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 268 (chatrādi-mantras for royal protection); Agni Purana rājadharma-related passages
FAQs
It teaches a protective ‘covering/enveloping’ act (chādanam) directed toward the king, framed as an auspicious safeguard intended to produce victory (vijaya) and health (ārogya).
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied royal-ritual language—pragmatic instructions for state welfare—showing the text’s breadth across governance (rājadharma) and ritualized methods of ensuring public stability through the king’s well-being.
By invoking auspicious protection comparable to a life-giving cloud over the earth, the act is presented as dharmic support of righteous rulership, aiming at collective welfare through the ruler’s victory and freedom from disease.