Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 3
Chapter 296 — Viṣa-cikitsā: Mantras and Antidotes for Poison, Stings, and Snake-bite
ॐ नमो भगवते रुद्राय प्रेताधिपतये गुत्त्व गर्ज भ्रामय मुञ्च मुह्य कट आविश सुवर्णपतङ्ग रुद्रो ज्ञापयति ठ पातालक्षोभमन्त्रोयं मन्त्रणाद्विषनाशनः दंशकाहिदंशे सद्यो दष्टः काष्ठशिलादिना
oṃ namo bhagavate rudrāya pretādhipataye guttva garja bhrāmaya muñca muhya kaṭa āviśa suvarṇapataṅga rudro jñāpayati ṭha pātālakṣobhamantroyaṃ mantraṇādviṣanāśanaḥ daṃśakāhidaṃśe sadyo daṣṭaḥ kāṣṭhaśilādinā
« Om. Hommage au Bienheureux Rudra, seigneur des troupes de preta (esprits). “Lie fermement ! Rugis ! Tourbillonne ! Relâche ! Égare ! Frappe ! Entre ! Ô toi aux ailes d’or !” — ainsi Rudra commande. Tel est le mantra “Pātāla-kṣobha” ; par sa récitation, il détruit le poison. Dans les cas de piqûres et de morsures de serpent — lorsqu’on est mordu soudainement, même par contact avec le bois, la pierre et autres — (ce mantra doit être employé) pour neutraliser aussitôt le venin.
Lord Agni (teaching as an encyclopedic narrator of rites and remedies, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Protective recitation for immediate viṣa-śamana in sarpa-daṃśa and other toxic contacts; used as rakṣā-mantra alongside first-aid measures.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Pātāla-kṣobha Viṣanāśana Mantra (Rudra-preta-adhipati)","lookup_keywords":["pātāla-kṣobha","viṣanāśana","rudra mantra","sarpa-daṃśa","rakṣā-mantra"],"quick_summary":"A Rudra-addressed protective mantra said to ‘agitate the netherworld’ and destroy poison; prescribed for stings and snake-bite emergencies for rapid neutralization."}
Concept: Mantra-śakti as immediate rakṣā against viṣa; Rudra as controller of bhūta-preta forces and remover of afflictions.
Application: Use of authoritative deity-invocation and imperative mantra-nyāsa/uccāraṇa in crisis situations (viṣa-apāya).
Khanda Section: Mantra-Tantra & Raksha (Protective Spells; Vishahara/Poison-Apāya Remedies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A healer-priest urgently recites a fierce Rudra mantra over a snake-bitten person; Rudra’s command subdues the poison as a dark force leaving the wound.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Rudra as fierce protector with matted hair and trident, surrounded by subtle preta-gaṇas, a patient with snake-bite on the ground, priest chanting, stylized dark poison vapors dispersing, earthy reds and greens, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Rudra in ornate frame with gold leaf halo, priest in foreground holding palm-leaf manuscript, bitten limb shown, poison depicted as black serpentine aura being driven away, rich jewel tones, heavy gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: healer chanting ‘Pātāla-kṣobha’ mantra, patient supported by attendants, minimal background, clear labeling-like arrangement, delicate lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court-physician and mantra-reciter attending a victim of snake-bite, detailed flora and a small serpent nearby, calligraphic mantra strip, poison shown as smoky tendrils, fine brushwork and naturalistic faces"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"apotropaic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्त्रोयं → मन्त्रः अयम्; मन्त्रणाद्विषनाशनः → मन्त्रणात् विष-नाशनः; दंशकाहिदंशे → दंशक-अहि-दंशे; काष्ठशिलादिना → काष्ठ-शिला-आदिना. Several mantra-syllables (गुत्त्व, कट, ठ) treated as avyaya.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 296 (viṣahara-prayoga section); Agni Purana mantra-rakṣā prakaraṇas in Mantra-Tantra khanda
FAQs
It teaches a specific viṣa-nāśana (poison-neutralizing) protective mantra—named the Pātāla-kṣobha mantra—used as an emergency remedy for stings and snake-bites through commanded, coercive mantra-verbs and bīja-syllables.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical, applied knowledge—here, a ritual-therapeutic protocol (mantra-based first-response) for venom and sudden afflictions, illustrating its coverage of both spiritual and pragmatic life-protection measures.
Invoking Rudra as a fierce protector frames healing as dharmic protection of life; the act of mantra-recitation is treated as a purificatory, spiritually authorized intervention that wards off harmful forces (seen as both physical poison and subtle affliction).