Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 17
Āgneya-Purāṇa-māhātmya
The Greatness and Self-Testimony of the Agni Purāṇa
अध्यायपठनञ्चास्य गोप्रदानाद् विशिष्यते अहोरात्रकृतं पापं श्रोतुमिच्छोः प्रणश्यति
adhyāyapaṭhanañcāsya gopradānād viśiṣyate ahorātrakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ śrotumicchoḥ praṇaśyati
La recitación de este capítulo es superior incluso al don de una vaca; para quien desea escucharlo, el pecado cometido en el transcurso de un día y una noche se destruye.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s main dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Encouraging chapter-recitation and attentive listening as a daily expiation practice, positioned as superior to cow-gift in merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Adhyāya-paṭhana superiority and daily pāpa-nāśa through śravaṇa","lookup_keywords":["adhyāya-paṭhana","go-pradāna","pāpa-nāśa","ahorātra","śravaṇa-icchā"],"quick_summary":"Reciting the chapter is declared superior to cow-gift, and the very desire to listen is said to destroy sins accrued in a day and night. The takeaway is daily purification through text-engagement."}
Alamkara Type: Atiśayokti (hyperbolic praise)
Concept: Śravaṇa/paṭhana as prāyaścitta-like purifier; intention (śrotum-icchā) itself is ethically transformative.
Application: Adopt a daily chapter-reading or listening practice (even brief), especially at dawn/evening, as a routine moral audit and purification.
Khanda Section: Punya-Karma and Shravana-Mahatmya (Merit of recitation, listening, and gifts)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A reciter reads a chapter aloud; a listener with folded hands is shown with a dark aura of 'pāpa' dissolving into light over the cycle of day and night.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-panel day/night backdrop, reciter on vyāsapīṭha, listener in devotion, stylized dark-to-light transformation around the listener, temple lamp and lotus motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold radiance emanating from the manuscript, cow-gift symbol minimized at the side, central focus on recitation, ornate aureoles and rich reds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic split scene: left cow-dāna, right adhyāya-paṭhana with larger emphasis, clean lines, explanatory visual hierarchy","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate reading circle, subtle allegory of dissipating darkness around the listener, meticulous architectural interior, refined palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पठनञ्चास्य→पठनम् च अस्य; गोप्रदानाद्→गो-प्रदानात्; श्रोतुमिच्छोः→श्रोतुम् इच्छोः.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 382 (phala-śruti); Agni Purāṇa prāyaścitta/dharma discussions (general)
FAQs
It teaches a practical sādhanā: reciting the chapter and/or listening to it (śravaṇa) is presented as a high-merit act, even surpassing go-dāna, and is prescribed as a means of daily purification.
Alongside its many technical subjects, the Agni Purana also systematizes religious practice by stating measurable results (phala) for actions like recitation, charity, and listening—integrating ritual ethics with daily-life guidance.
It asserts that sincere desire to hear and engagement with the text through śravaṇa/paṭhana functions as a potent expiation, removing sins accumulated within a 24-hour cycle.