Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 5
Ācāra
Right Conduct
भूमिष्ठमुद्धृतात् पुण्यं ततः प्रस्रवणोदकं ततो ऽपि सारसं पुण्यं तस्मान्नादेयमुच्यते
bhūmiṣṭhamuddhṛtāt puṇyaṃ tataḥ prasravaṇodakaṃ tato 'pi sārasaṃ puṇyaṃ tasmānnādeyamucyate
L’eau demeurée sur le sol est plus méritoire que l’eau tirée (d’un puits, etc.). Plus méritoire encore est l’eau d’une source naturelle ; et plus méritoire que celle-ci est l’eau d’un lac. C’est pourquoi l’on dit qu’une telle eau ne doit pas être rejetée comme impropre.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for selecting acceptable/meritorious water for snāna and ritual use; establishes a hierarchy of water sources and discourages rejecting certain natural waters.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Puṇya-jala-tāratamya: hierarchy of water sources","lookup_keywords":["puṇya-jala","bhūmi-stha","prasravaṇa-udaka","sārasa","nādeya"],"quick_summary":"The verse ranks waters by ritual merit: ground-collected water, then spring water, then lake water as increasingly meritorious. Such waters are declared acceptable and not to be rejected for sacred use."}
Concept: Sacrality can inhere in natural sources; dharma provides graded choices when ideal resources are unavailable.
Application: When choosing water for snāna/ācamanīya, prefer natural sources per the hierarchy; do not dismiss lake/spring water as unfit merely by convention.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Waters and Sources of Merit)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A comparative tableau of water sources: a small ground pool, a bubbling spring, and a serene lake, each labeled with increasing merit; a ritual practitioner accepts the water respectfully.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, three horizontal bands: ground water puddle, spring emerging from rock, lotus lake; a devotee with kamaṇḍalu collecting water; stylized flora and sacred ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central lotus lake with gold highlights, side medallions showing spring and ground pool, devotee holding a water vessel, ornate border and rich blues/greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic chart-like scene with neat labels for each water type, gentle shading, emphasis on clarity of sources and collection method","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic landscape with spring and lake, detailed water reflections, figure collecting water with brass pot, fine calligraphic labels indicating hierarchy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भूमिष्ठमुद्धृतात् = भूमिष्ठम् + उद्धृतात्; ततो 'पि = ततः + अपि; तस्मान्नादेयमुच्यते = तस्मात् + न + आदेयम् + उच्यते.
Related Themes: Agni Purana tīrtha-mahātmya and snāna-vidhi passages (same khanda context)
FAQs
It gives a practical hierarchy of water-sources for purification and ritual use, ranking naturally available waters (spring, lake) as especially purifying and instructing that such water should not be rejected as unfit.
By cataloging nuanced dharma-ritual standards—here, the gradation of waters for purity—the Agni Purana functions like a compendium of applied religious practice alongside its many other subjects.
Using (and not disparaging) highly meritorious natural waters is presented as a means of enhanced purification and accumulation of puṇya, supporting auspicious outcomes in rites and personal sanctification.