Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 30
Adhyaya 120 — भुवनकोषः
Bhuvanakośa: Cosmic Geography and Cosmological Measures
भूमेराहूतसम्प्लवे इति घ , ज च ततो गङ्गा प्रभवति स्मरणात् पाशनाशनी दिवि रूपं हरेर्ज्ञेयं शिशुमाराकृति प्रभो
bhūmerāhūtasamplave iti gha , ja ca tato gaṅgā prabhavati smaraṇāt pāśanāśanī divi rūpaṃ harerjñeyaṃ śiśumārākṛti prabho
«Lors du samplava (déluge) invoqué pour la terre»—ainsi l’atteste la tradition textuelle. De là surgit le fleuve Gaṅgā ; le seul fait de s’en souvenir détruit le nœud coulant (de l’attachement et du péché). Et, ô Seigneur, il faut comprendre que la forme de Hari dans les cieux est celle d’un śiśumāra, une figure stellaire semblable à un dauphin ou à un crocodilien.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Tīrtha-smaraṇa as a devotional practice for pāpa-kṣaya; cosmological visualization of the śiśumāra-form to situate Gaṅgā and Hari in the celestial map.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Gaṅgā’s emergence and Hari’s śiśumāra-form in the heavens","lookup_keywords":["Gaṅgā-prabhava","smaraṇa-pāśanāśinī","samplava","śiśumāra-ākṛti","Hari divi-rūpa"],"quick_summary":"States that Gaṅgā manifests in connection with a cosmic inundation and that mere remembrance of her destroys bondage; identifies Hari’s celestial form as the śiśumāra-shaped cosmic configuration used for cosmographic contemplation."}
Alamkara Type: Arthantaranyasa
Concept: Smaraṇa (remembrance) as an efficacious purifier that cuts bondage (pāśa) and sin; cosmographic dhyāna on Hari’s celestial form.
Application: Daily Gaṅgā-smaraṇa/japa and mental offering; use śiśumāra visualization as a contemplative map aligning devotion with cosmic order.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya & Cosmic Geography (Ganga-pradurbhava; Vishnu’s celestial form)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Bhakti
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Gaṅgā emerging from a cosmic event (inundation motif), flowing from the heavens; above, a starry śiśumāra-shaped celestial figure representing Hari, with devotees remembering Gaṅgā and bonds (noose) breaking.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Gaṅgā as a divine river goddess descending in layered streams, celestial background with a stylized śiśumāra constellation-form, broken pāśa motif near devotees, rich blues and greens, traditional ornament","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Gaṅgā descending from a golden celestial arch, embossed gold for the divine aura, śiśumāra constellation rendered as jeweled outline, devotees below with folded hands, symbolic broken noose","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean cosmographic diagram feel: śiśumāra outline in the sky with stars, Gaṅgā stream labeled, minimal figures showing smaraṇa, soft pastel sky with gold accents","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed river flow from clouds, delicate star map forming a dolphin/alligator-like silhouette, courtly devotees in foreground, fine linework, subdued palette with bright celestial highlights"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Ganga Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhūmeḥ+āhūta- → bhūmerāhūta-; harer+jñeyam → harerjñeyam; śiśumāra+ākṛti → śiśumārākṛti. The sequence “iti gha, ja ca” is treated as letter-names (varṇa-nirdeśa) as transmitted.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 120 (Gaṅgā-prādurbhāva and loka-varṇana sequence)
FAQs
It teaches a concise tirtha-prayoga: smaraṇa (devotional remembrance) of Gaṅgā is presented as a purificatory act that destroys pāśa—bondage caused by sin and karmic ties.
It combines two knowledge domains in one unit—tīrtha-māhātmya (merit of sacred rivers) and cosmic geography/iconography (Hari’s śiśumāra-form in the heavens), illustrating the text’s breadth from devotion to cosmology.
Remembering Gaṅgā is framed as a direct means of loosening karmic bondage (pāśa), implying inner purification and liberation-oriented merit even without elaborate external rites.