Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 44
Chapter 64 — कूपादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
The Account of the Consecration of Wells and Other Water-Works
गवादि पिवते यस्मात्तस्मात् कर्तुर् न पातकं तोयदानात्सर्वदानफलं प्राप्य दिवं यजेत्
gavādi pivate yasmāttasmāt kartur na pātakaṃ toyadānātsarvadānaphalaṃ prāpya divaṃ yajet
Puisque les vaches et les autres êtres boivent cette eau, aucun péché n’échoit à celui qui l’accomplit. Par le don de l’eau, ayant obtenu le fruit de tous les dons, qu’il adore les dieux et atteigne le ciel.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Establishing public water-sources (water pots, troughs, wells, tanks) as a meritorious charity; using water-gift as expiation and as a daily/seasonal pious act, especially in heat and drought.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Toya-dāna (Gift of Water) as Sarva-dāna-phala","lookup_keywords":["toya-dana","udaka-dana","sarva-dana-phala","papa-kshaya","svarga"],"quick_summary":"Donating water is declared sin-destroying because it sustains cows and all beings; it is praised as yielding the fruit of all gifts and as a direct means to heavenly merit through worship."}
Concept: Ahimsa and loka-saṅgraha through sustaining life; intention and public benefit reduce/negate sin and generate broad merit.
Application: Prioritize charities that directly preserve life (water, food, shelter); couple dāna with worship and right conduct.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Charity, merit, and expiation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor places a water-pot/trough by a roadside; cows and travelers drink; a priest performs a brief worship as the donor gains merit.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and greens, a village roadside with a stone water-trough, cows drinking, a brahmin sprinkling consecrated water, donor with folded hands, serene shanta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents, central donor offering a kalasha of water, stylized cows and devotees, small divine vignette above indicating svarga-phala, ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, delicate linework, instructional depiction of placing a water-stand and offering water, labeled vessels (kalasha, pātra), calm devotional setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape with travelers and cattle at a water station, donor and attendants, fine architectural background, subtle haloed deities indicating worship and merit."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गवादि = गव + आदि; यस्मात्तस्मात् = यस्मात् + तस्मात्; कर्तुर् = कर्तुः (रेफ-संधि); तोयदानात् = तोय-दानात्; सर्वदानफलं = सर्व-दान-फलम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Dāna-dharma sections on anna-dāna, go-dāna, and prāyaścitta; Agni Purana: chapters on kūpa/vāpī/taḍāga-pratiṣṭhā (preceding 64th)
FAQs
It teaches the dāna-vidhi principle that gifting water (toya-dāna), since it sustains cows and other beings, yields exceptionally high merit and does not generate sin for the donor.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s dharma-encyclopedia style by codifying a practical, everyday ritual ethic—charitable water-giving—into a formal merit doctrine comparable to broader sections on rites, law, and expiation.
The verse frames water-donation as a near-universal purifier that grants the combined merit of all gifts and supports upliftment toward heaven through ongoing worship and righteous action.