Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 13
Chapter 279 — सिद्धौषधानि (Siddhauṣadhāni, “Perfected Medicines”) — Colophon/Closure
ब्रह्मदक्षाश्विरुद्रेन्द्रभूचन्द्रार्कानिलानलाः ऋषयश् चौषधिग्रामा भूतसङ्घाश् च पान्तु ते
brahmadakṣāśvirudrendrabhūcandrārkānilānalāḥ ṛṣayaś cauṣadhigrāmā bhūtasaṅghāś ca pāntu te
Que Brahmā, Dakṣa, les Aśvin, Rudra, Indra, la Terre, la Lune, le Soleil, le Vent et le Feu—avec les ṛṣi, les cohortes de plantes médicinales et les multitudes d’êtres—te protègent.
Lord Agni (narrating within a raksha-mantra context to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Recite a protective benediction invoking cosmic and medicinal guardians to safeguard patient and therapy from obstacles, fear, and unseen harms.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Rakṣā-mantra for Protection in Treatment","lookup_keywords":["rakṣā-mantra","bhaiṣajya-rakṣā","auṣadhi-grāma","bhūta-saṅgha","deva-stuti"],"quick_summary":"A protective invocation calling upon deities, elements, sages, medicinal plants, and beings to guard the recipient—used as a benediction around healing work."}
Alamkara Type: Samuccaya (accumulative listing)
Concept: Healing is supported by a network of adhi-daivika forces—deities, ṛṣis, elements, and the auṣadhi-world—invoked as guardians.
Application: Use the mantra as a ‘protective frame’ at the start/end of treatment sessions, especially in vulnerable conditions (fever, poisoning, childbirth, surgery-like procedures).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Raksha-mantra (Protective invocation and benediction formulas)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A circle of protection around a patient: deities and elements symbolically stationed in the directions; medicinal plants personified as guardians; the healer recites the rakṣā-mantra.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, mandala-like protective scene: healer chanting, patient seated, directional guardians as stylized figures (Brahmā, Rudra, Indra, Aśvins), Earth as green-brown goddess, Sun/Moon discs, Wind/Fire motifs, medicinal plants as anthropomorphic attendants","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-embossed protective tableau: central patient under a golden arch, healer with palm-leaf manuscript, surrounding deity icons with halos, auṣadhi-grāma as a garland of sacred herbs rendered in raised gold detailing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional composition: healer reciting, labeled symbols for Earth/Moon/Sun/Wind/Fire, border of medicinal plants, calm protective ambience suitable for a ‘rakṣā-mantra chart’","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined allegorical scene: physician chanting beside patient on a carpet, margins filled with botanical studies (auṣadhi), celestial roundels for sun and moon, subtle personifications of wind and fire, fine calligraphy panel for the mantra"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रुद्रेन्द्र = रुद्र+इन्द्र; चन्द्रार्क = चन्द्र+अर्क; अर्कानिलानलाः = अर्क+अनिल+अनलाः; ऋषयश् च = ऋषयः+च; चौषधिग्रामा = च+औषधिग्रामाः; भूतसङ्घाश् च = भूतसङ्घाः+च
Related Themes: Agni Purana 279.12 (pre-treatment worship); Agni Purana 279.14 (medicine praised as rasāyana/amṛta)
FAQs
It teaches a rakṣā-prayoga (protective application) by invoking a comprehensive mandala of deities and cosmic powers—creator, gods, luminaries, elements, sages, and healing plants—to confer protection (pāntu te).
It exemplifies how the Agni Purana integrates ritual technology (rakṣā-mantras) with cosmology (Sun, Moon, elements), theology (major deities), and even proto-Ayurvedic symbolism (auṣadhi-grāma), showing multi-domain knowledge in a single liturgical unit.
Remembering and invoking these powers is presented as a protective, purifying act that wards off obstacles and harmful influences, aligning the practitioner with dharmic, cosmic order through sanctioned divine guardianship.