Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 16
Chapter 109 — Tīrtha-mahātmya
The Glory of Sacred Pilgrimage Places
पांशवोपि कुरुक्षेत्रे नयन्ति परमां गतिं धर्मतीर्थं सुवर्णाख्यं गङ्गाद्वारमनुत्तमं
pāṃśavopi kurukṣetre nayanti paramāṃ gatiṃ dharmatīrthaṃ suvarṇākhyaṃ gaṅgādvāramanuttamaṃ
Même la poussière de Kurukṣetra conduit à l’atteinte suprême. On y trouve le Dharma-tīrtha nommé Suvarṇa et l’incomparable Gaṅgā-dvāra, la Porte de la Gaṅgā.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage planning and tirtha-smaraṇa (remembering/reciting sacred places) for accruing punya; framing Kurukṣetra and Gaṅgādvāra as high-merit destinations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Kurukṣetra-dhūli-mahattva; Suvarṇa-dharmatīrtha; Gaṅgādvāra","lookup_keywords":["Kurukṣetra","pāṃśu (dust)","Suvarṇa dharmatīrtha","Gaṅgādvāra","paramā gati"],"quick_summary":"The verse asserts that even the dust of Kurukṣetra grants supreme spiritual attainment, and it highlights Suvarṇa (a dharma-tīrtha) and Gaṅgādvāra as unsurpassed pilgrimage gateways."}
Concept: Tīrtha-mahattva: contact (even dust) with a dharma-field is spiritually transformative.
Application: Undertake pilgrimage with śraddhā; perform snāna/dāna/japa at Kurukṣetra and Gaṅgādvāra; keep tirtha-smaraṇa as a daily merit practice.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim at Kurukṣetra lifting a pinch of sacred dust, with a distant view of Gaṅgā flowing through Gaṅgādvāra; signboards/markers naming Suvarṇa dharmatīrtha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, flat luminous colors, stylized river Gaṅgā as a divine stream, pilgrims in white dhoti, Kurukṣetra plain with sacred dust aura, temple gateway labeled Gaṅgādvāra, traditional ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf halos around the river and tīrtha markers, central pilgrim holding sacred dust, Gaṅgā personified subtly, rich reds and greens, embossed gold for ‘Suvarṇa’ motif.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional composition showing three labeled nodes: Kurukṣetra dust, Suvarṇa dharmatīrtha, Gaṅgādvāra gateway, calm palette and precise geography cues.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape of river gorge opening to plains, small figures of pilgrims collecting dust, calligraphic cartouches naming Kurukṣetra and Gaṅgādvāra, fine architectural gateway."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पांशवोऽपि = पांशवः + अपि (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ओऽपि). गङ्गाद्वारम् + अनुत्तमम् → गङ्गाद्वारमनुत्तमम् (अकार-सन्धि).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Tirtha-mahatmya sections within Book/Khanda 109 and adjacent verses listing tīrthas
FAQs
It conveys tīrtha-vidyā (pilgrimage doctrine): contact with Kurukṣetra—even its dust—is said to confer the highest spiritual result, and it identifies key dharma-tīrthas such as Suvarṇa and Gaṅgā-dvāra.
It functions as a gazetteer-style entry within the Purāṇa’s sacred-geography material, cataloging named pilgrimage sites and summarizing their promised fruits—one of the many practical knowledge domains (tīrtha, vrata, dāna, rājadharma, āyurveda, etc.) compiled in the text.
It asserts extraordinary purification and uplift through association with a dharma-tīrtha: proximity to Kurukṣetra and its famed fords is presented as a direct cause of “paramā gati” (supreme attainment), emphasizing place-based merit (puṇya) in dharma practice.