Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 39
Chapter 64 — कूपादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
The Account of the Consecration of Wells and Other Water-Works
द्विजेभ्यो दक्षिणा देया आगतान् भोजयेत्तथा आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ता ये केचित्सलिलार्थिनः
dvijebhyo dakṣiṇā deyā āgatān bhojayettathā ābrahmastambaparyantā ye kecitsalilārthinaḥ
Il faut offrir la dakṣiṇā (honorarium rituel) aux dvija, et de même nourrir ceux qui sont venus. Et tout être, depuis Brahmā jusqu’à un brin d’herbe, qui demande de l’eau, doit recevoir de l’eau.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Daily dana and atithi-seva: give dakshina to qualified dvijas, feed arriving guests, and ensure universal access to drinking water for all beings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Atithi-sevā and universal water-gift (jala-dāna)","lookup_keywords":["dakshina","atithi-seva","anna-dana","jala-dana","sarva-bhuta-daya"],"quick_summary":"Honor learned dvijas with dakshina, feed those who arrive, and give water to any being that seeks it; the act is framed as compassion extending from Brahma to grass."}
Alamkara Type: Avadhi (range-expression) / Vyatireka-like totality
Concept: Sarva-bhuta-daya expressed as dana—especially water and food—as a primary marker of righteous conduct.
Application: Institutionalize open access: water pots, wells, feeding stations; treat guests and seekers without discrimination.
Khanda Section: Dāna-Dharma & Atithi-Sevā (Charity, hospitality, and ritual merit)
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder offers dakshina to a seated brahmana, serves food to arriving guests, and pours drinking water for travelers and animals; the scene subtly includes grass and small creatures to show ‘from Brahma to a blade of grass’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a dharmic householder in traditional attire offering a brass vessel of water and a leaf-plate meal to guests and a brahmana receiving dakshina, stylized flora and small beings indicating universal compassion, flat decorative background, sacred calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure of a benevolent grihastha with ornate jewelry and rich textiles, gold-leaf highlights on water pot and offering tray, brahmana seated with palm-leaf manuscript, guests at the threshold, symbolic grass and animals, temple-lamp ambience.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework and soft shading, instructional tableau: labeled elements (dakshina, bhojana, jala-patra), orderly household courtyard with water stand, serene expressions, emphasis on ritual propriety.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard with attendants serving water and food, brahmana receiving coins, travelers and animals at a water station, intricate textiles and architecture, naturalistic plants including a prominent blade of grass motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्विजेभ्यो→द्विजेभ्यः; आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ता→आ-ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-पर्यन्ताः; केचित्सलिलार्थिनः→केचित् + सलिलार्थिनः; सलिलार्थिनः→सलिल-অर्थिनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dana-dharma sections on anna-dana and jala-dana (within the same khanda); Agni Purana: atithi-dharma and grihastha duties passages
FAQs
It prescribes dāna-vidhi: giving dakṣiṇā to qualified dvijas (as an honorarium/ritual gift), practicing atithi-sevā by feeding arrivals, and performing salila-dāna (offering water) universally to any water-seeker.
Alongside its many technical subjects, the Agni Purana also codifies practical dharma—here, concrete social-ritual duties (dakṣiṇā, feeding guests, water charity) that function as a handbook for daily religious life.
The verse frames generosity—especially feeding and giving water—as a high-merit act rooted in compassion, extending dharma beyond humans to all living beings, thereby increasing puṇya and purifying conduct.