Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 20
अध्याय 82 — संस्कारदीक्षाकथनम्
Saṃskāra-Dīkṣā: Consecratory Initiation
बालबालिशवृद्धस्त्रीभोगभुग्व्याधितात्मनां यथाशक्ति ददीतार्थं समर्थस्य समग्रकान्
bālabāliśavṛddhastrībhogabhugvyādhitātmanāṃ yathāśakti dadītārthaṃ samarthasya samagrakān
Aux enfants, aux simples d’esprit, aux vieillards, aux femmes, à ceux qui s’adonnent aux plaisirs des sens et à ceux que la maladie afflige—qu’on apporte une aide selon sa capacité; mais à l’homme capable, qu’on donne des provisions complètes.
Lord Agni (teaching Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidelines for targeted charity and social support: prioritize dependents and vulnerable persons with proportional aid; give full provisions to those capable (e.g., for productive use or duty fulfillment).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dāna-vibhāga: Aid to vulnerable vs. complete provision to the capable","lookup_keywords":["dāna-vidhi","anukampā","vṛddha-strī-bāla","vyādhi","samartha-dāna"],"quick_summary":"Give assistance according to capacity to children, the naïve, the aged, women, pleasure-seekers, and the sick; to a capable person, give complete provisions. The verse frames charity as discerning and duty-based, not indiscriminate."}
Concept: Dāna guided by yathāśakti (capacity) and adhikāra (recipient suitability).
Application: Create a household/temple charity policy: allocate relief funds for vulnerable groups; provide complete kits/resources to capable recipients for stable livelihood or dharmic duties.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Dāna-vidhi (Ethics of charity and social duty)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder or temple steward distributing food, cloth, and coins: small children, an elderly person, a woman, a sick person supported by an attendant; a capable worker receiving a complete bundle of provisions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat warm palette, dignified donor in traditional attire offering alms; grouped recipients—child, elderly, woman, sick person—near a temple courtyard; clear gestures of compassion, minimal background architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights on vessels of food and cloth bundles; central donor figure with ornate halo-like arch motif; recipients arranged symmetrically; rich reds and greens, embossed jewelry details.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework; instructional tableau showing categories of recipients labeled by subtle cues (walking stick for aged, bandage for sick); calm domestic setting with granary and water pot.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly charity scene with precise textiles; donor seated on a low platform, attendants handing out measured provisions; individualized faces for each recipient type; architectural frame with garden border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बालबालिशवृद्धस्त्रीभोगभुग्व्याधितात्मनां → बाल + बालिश + वृद्ध + स्त्री + भोगभुक् + व्याधितात्मनाम् (षष्ठी-बहुवचन-समाहार). यथाशक्ति → यथा-शक्ति (अव्ययीभाव). ददीतार्थं → ददीत + अर्थम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana dāna-vidhi sections (general); Agni Purana dharma-nīti passages on dayā and atithi-sevā
FAQs
It gives a practical rule of dāna (charitable giving): support vulnerable recipients according to one’s means, while providing full, adequate support to someone capable who can utilize it effectively.
Alongside ritual and cosmological material, the Agni Purana also preserves applied dharma—social ethics and welfare principles—showing it functions as a broad handbook of religious, moral, and civic life.
Giving appropriately (without excess or neglect) is treated as dharmic conduct that generates puṇya (merit) and supports social harmony by directing aid where it is most needed and most fruitfully used.