Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 5
अध्याय ११५ — गयायात्राविधिः
Procedure for the Pilgrimage to Gayā
पद्भ्यामपि जलं स्पृष्ट्वा अस्मभ्यं किन्न दास्यति ब्रह्मज्ञानं गयाश्राद्धं गोगृहे मरणं तथा
padbhyāmapi jalaṃ spṛṣṭvā asmabhyaṃ kinna dāsyati brahmajñānaṃ gayāśrāddhaṃ gogṛhe maraṇaṃ tathā
Ne fût-ce qu’en effleurant l’eau de ses pieds, que ne nous accordera-t-elle pas ? La connaissance de Brahman, le śrāddha à Gayā, et même la mort dans une étable à vaches comme fin de bon augure, de même.
Lord Agni (in dialogue with the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Magnifies the merit of sacred water-contact: encourages pilgrimage bathing/approach to tīrtha, presenting it as a gateway to multiple boons (jñāna, Gayā-śrāddha fruit, auspicious death-conditions).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Tīrtha-jala-sparśa-phala (boons from mere contact with sacred water)","lookup_keywords":["jala-sparśa","tīrtha-phala","brahmajñāna","Gayā-śrāddha","gogṛha-maraṇa"],"quick_summary":"The verse hyperbolically asserts that even minimal contact with sacred water can yield great spiritual fruits, including knowledge, śrāddha merit, and auspicious end-of-life conditions."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti (hyperbole)
Concept: Śraddhā in tīrtha and minimal yet sincere engagement (sparśa) is portrayed as spiritually catalytic; the verse functions as motivation for practice.
Application: Undertake tīrtha-snāna or at least respectful contact with tīrtha-water with saṅkalpa; pair it with śrāddha duties rather than treating it as mere tourism.
Khanda Section: Shraddha and Tirtha-Mahatmya (Pitr-karya, Gaya-shraddha, auspicious deaths)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim’s feet touch sacred water at a ghāṭ; from the water rise symbolic boons—scripture scroll for jñāna, piṇḍa-plate for Gayā-śrāddha, and a small cow-shed icon for auspicious death—rendered as allegorical emanations.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: close-up of feet at the water’s edge, stylized ripples, emerging symbols (pustaka, piṇḍa, gośālā) in a mythic register above the water, strong outlines and warm palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central ghāṭ and water with gold-leaf highlights on ripples and ritual vessels, allegorical icons floating above, ornate frame, devotional glow.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic allegory with labeled symbols rising from water-contact, soft gradients, careful depiction of ghāṭ steps and ritual items.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed riverside scene with subtle allegorical motifs in the sky/water, fine ripples, attendants and priest nearby, symbolic objects rendered like courtly emblems."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पद्भ्यामपि → पद्भ्याम् + अपि; किन्न → किम् + न.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: phala-śruti style passages in tīrtha-māhātmya; Agni Purana: Gayā-śrāddha procedures and merits
FAQs
It highlights the extraordinary merit (phala) attributed to contact with sanctified water, linking it to high religious attainments: Brahman-knowledge, performance of Gayā-śrāddha, and an auspicious end—thus emphasizing tīrtha-snāna/śuddhi and śrāddha-oriented practice.
In a single verse it juxtaposes soteriology (brahmajñāna), ritual science (śrāddha at a major pilgrimage center), and dharma notions about auspicious death—showing how the Agni Purana integrates metaphysics, rites, and practical religious life.
The verse teaches that even minimal contact with sacred/purifying water is credited with vast karmic purification and merit, culminating in both worldly and otherworldly benefits—ancestral satisfaction through śrāddha and movement toward liberation through brahmajñāna.