Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 7
Pratiṣṭhā-Kalaśa-Śodhana-Ukti (Instruction on Purifying the Consecration Pitcher) — Chapter 85
केदारो भैरवश् चैव द्वितीयाष्टकमीरितं ततो गयाकुरुक्षेत्रखलानादिकनादिके
kedāro bhairavaś caiva dvitīyāṣṭakamīritaṃ tato gayākurukṣetrakhalānādikanādike
« Kedāra et Bhairava » — cela est proclamé comme le second groupe de huit ; ensuite sont mentionnés Gayā, Kurukṣetra et d’autres lieux saints, à commencer par Khalāna et Kanādikā.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides pilgrimage planning and tīrtha-recitation for accruing puṇya; supports ritual calendars and yātrā itineraries by naming key sites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Tīrtha-saṅgraha (Kedāra–Bhairava–Gayā–Kurukṣetra etc.)","lookup_keywords":["Kedāra","Bhairava","Gayā","Kurukṣetra","tīrtha-māhātmya"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates prominent tīrthas as a structured set, implying merit through visitation or remembrance. Practical for devotees to prioritize major pilgrimage nodes and associated rites (śrāddha, snāna, dāna)."}
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā (visiting/remembering sacred places) as a dharmic means to purification and puṇya accumulation.
Application: Perform snāna, dāna, japa, and (at Gayā) pitṛ-śrāddha; if travel is impossible, do nāma-smaraṇa with sankalpa.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrimage procession moving through multiple sacred landscapes: snowy Kedāra shrine, a Bhairava temple with guardian imagery, Gayā with śrāddha rites by a riverbank, and Kurukṣetra with broad sacred waters.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, segmented narrative: Kedāra mountain temple, Bhairava shrine with lamps, Gayā riverbank śrāddha with priests, Kurukṣetra tīrtha-snāna, bold outlines and traditional palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, four-panel composition with gold-embellished temple towers and ritual vessels, pilgrims offering flowers, priests performing śrāddha, ornate borders and rich colors.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic panels showing rites at each tīrtha (snāna, dāna, śrāddha), soft tones, fine linework, labeled locations.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic travel scene with varied terrains (mountain, river, plain), detailed figures of pilgrims and priests, architectural accuracy, calligraphic labels for each tīrtha."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Tirtha (if unavailable, use) Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भैरवश् चैव = भैरवः च एव; द्वितीयाष्टकमीरितं = द्वितीयाष्टकम् ईरितम्; गयाकुरुक्षेत्रखलानादिकनादिके treated as a multi-member compound in locative singular.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 85 (tīrtha/kṣetra lists continuing in adjacent verses)
FAQs
It gives a structured enumeration (aṣṭaka/group-of-eight) of tīrthas, indicating how sacred places are organized for recitation and pilgrimage-focused merit (tīrtha-nāma-saṅkīrtana).
By cataloguing major and minor pilgrimage sites (Kedāra, Bhairava, Gayā, Kurukṣetra, etc.), it functions like a geographic index of dharma-practice, preserving place-names and their ritual relevance alongside other disciplines in the text.
Reciting and remembering tīrthas is traditionally held to generate puṇya and purification; naming sites like Gayā and Kurukṣetra especially implies merit connected with ancestral rites and dharmic observances.