Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 28
Chapter 116 — गयायात्राविधिः (Gayā-yātrā-vidhiḥ) | The Procedure for the Gayā Pilgrimage
देवरूपा शिला पुण्या तस्माद्देवमयी शिला गयायां नहि तत् स्थानं यत्र तीर्थं न विद्यते
devarūpā śilā puṇyā tasmāddevamayī śilā gayāyāṃ nahi tat sthānaṃ yatra tīrthaṃ na vidyate
La pierre qui porte la forme d’une divinité est source de mérite; ainsi cette pierre est véritablement d’essence divine. À Gayā, il n’est aucun lieu où l’on ne trouve un tīrtha, gué sacré.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage planning and tirtha-recognition: treating devatā-rūpa śilā as worship-worthy and understanding Gayā as pervasively sacred for śrāddha/tarpaṇa circuits.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Devarūpā Śilā and the All-Tīrtha Nature of Gayā","lookup_keywords":["devarūpā śilā","devamayī śilā","Gayā tīrtha","tīrtha-vyāpti","śilā-pūjā"],"quick_summary":"A stone bearing a deity-form is to be regarded as intrinsically divine and meritorious. Gayā is portrayed as a landscape saturated with tīrthas, supporting continuous ritual opportunity for pilgrims."}
Concept: Tīrtha is recognized by sanctity and divine presence; form (rūpa) can function as a locus of the sacred.
Application: Cultivate pratimā-bhāva toward sacred stones; approach Gayā as a continuous ritual field rather than a single point-destination.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: Tirtha/City
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim in Gayā reverently approaches a naturally deity-shaped stone near a tīrtha-bank, with multiple small shrines and ghāṭas indicating that sacred fords are everywhere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and ochres, stylized riverbank of Gayā with many small tīrtha-ghāṭas, a devarūpā śilā glowing with divine aura, pilgrims with folded hands, minimal perspective, ornate borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central devarūpā śilā treated like a deity with gold halo and embossed ornaments, Gayā ghāṭa in background, devotees offering flowers, rich jewel tones, gold leaf detailing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing a labeled sacred stone and surrounding tīrtha spots, gentle shading, instructional composition with priest guiding pilgrim, calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed Gayā riverside with multiple bathing steps and shrines, a distinctive deity-formed stone in foreground, finely dressed pilgrims, delicate architectural detail and landscape rendering"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्माद्देवमयी = तस्मात् + देवमयी; अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः।
Related Themes: Agni Purana 116 (Gayā-tīrtha/śrāddha context); Agni Purana śrāddha/piṇḍadāna sections elsewhere in the Purāṇa
FAQs
It conveys a tirtha-mahātmya principle used in pilgrimage practice: a deity-formed stone (devarūpā śilā) is treated as intrinsically sacred, and Gayā is presented as pervasively endowed with tīrthas—supporting ritual acts like visiting, honoring, and performing offerings at such spots.
By cataloging sacred geography and pilgrimage doctrine (tīrtha-mahātmya) alongside other disciplines, the Agni Purana functions as a compendium—here preserving rules-of-thumb for identifying holy objects/places (divine stones, ubiquitous tīrthas) within a broader religious and cultural encyclopedia.
It frames contact with deity-formed stones and the landscape of Gayā as inherently purifying and merit-producing (puṇya), emphasizing that spiritual benefit is widely accessible there because sacred crossings (tīrthas) are present throughout the region.