Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 42
Chapter 64 — कूपादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
The Account of the Consecration of Wells and Other Water-Works
अनिवारितमन्नाद्यं सर्वजन्यञ्च कारयेत् अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत्
anivāritamannādyaṃ sarvajanyañca kārayet aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret
Il faut organiser une réserve de nourriture et de provisions qui ne soit refusée à personne et qui soit destinée à tous. Celui qui pratique cela (comme vœu régulier de nourrir) obtient un mérite égal à l’accomplissement de mille séries de mille sacrifices Aśvamedha.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Organize an open, non-discriminatory annādya distribution (food and essentials) as a continuing public charity; treat it as a vow-like practice with high ritual merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Unrestricted public food-provision (anivārita annādya) and its Aśvamedha-equivalent merit","lookup_keywords":["annadana","anivarita","sarvajanya","punya-phala","ashvamedha-tulya"],"quick_summary":"Providing food and provisions without refusal to all people is praised as yielding merit comparable to vast Aśvamedha performance, elevating social welfare to sacrificial stature."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti (hyperbolic praise)
Concept: Ethical redistribution (feeding all) is treated as a superior, accessible yajña—transforming social care into sacred duty.
Application: Create enduring systems: community kitchens, grain banks, and open meal services with no gatekeeping.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Charity and Merit of Gifts)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A public feeding hall where food and provisions are distributed freely to all—pilgrims, poor, travelers—symbolically equated with grand sacrifice through a background motif of a sacrificial altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, long row of seated diners on banana leaves, servers with pots and ladles, open gates signifying ‘anivārita’, subtle yajña-altar motif behind, warm ochres and reds, compassionate mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central donor figure with gold embellishments, abundant vessels of rice and ghee, rows of recipients, ornate arch framing like a temple mandapa, symbolic Aśvamedha horse emblem in corner.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, organized charity kitchen scene with clear depiction of storage jars, ladles, serving order, emphasis on cleanliness and inclusivity, soft palette and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling langar-like distribution in a courtyard, detailed textiles and utensils, diverse recipients, a small vignette of a sacrificial fire altar to indicate Aśvamedha comparison."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वजन्यञ्च→सर्वजन्यम् + च; अश्वमेधसहस्राणां→अश्वमेध-सहस्राणाम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dana-mahatmya on annadana and sarva-bhuta-hita; Agni Purana: yajna-phala comparisons used to extol dana
FAQs
It prescribes annadāna as a structured practice: establishing an unrestricted, public provision of food and necessities (open to all), treated as a high-merit dharmic observance.
Alongside ritual topics like major Vedic sacrifices, it also codifies practical social-dharma—public feeding and charitable provisioning—showing how the text integrates ritual theory with ethical governance of daily life.
It elevates universal, non-discriminatory feeding to a merit on par with immense sacrificial performance, teaching that compassionate public giving can equal the highest ritual fruits.