Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 42
Ṛग्विधानम् (Ṛgvidhāna) — Applications of Ṛgvedic Mantras through Japa and Homa
भोजनञ्चाप्नुयाच्छतमिति ख , ग , घ , ज च नित्यमन्नमुपस्थितमिति क , छ च आरातीनां हरेत् प्राणान् रक्षांस्यपि विनाशयेत् उपतिष्ठेत् स्वयं वह्निं परित्यृचा दिने दिने
bhojanañcāpnuyācchatamiti kha , ga , gha , ja ca nityamannamupasthitamiti ka , cha ca ārātīnāṃ haret prāṇān rakṣāṃsyapi vināśayet upatiṣṭhet svayaṃ vahniṃ parityṛcā dine dine
«On obtient une provision de nourriture au centuple» (ainsi lisent les recensions kha, ga, gha et ja) ; et «la nourriture est toujours à portée» (ainsi lisent les recensions ka et cha). Par une telle assiduité quotidienne, on ravirait le souffle vital (prāṇa) des ennemis et l’on détruirait aussi les esprits malfaisants (rākṣasa). C’est pourquoi il faut, chaque jour, servir soi-même le Feu sacré, sans omission.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Daily agni-upāsanā for prosperity (food security) and protection: variant readings promise abundant food; regular attendance to fire is said to destroy hostile forces and malevolent spirits.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Agni-upāsanā: annaprāpti and rakṣā with pāṭha-bheda notes","lookup_keywords":["annaprāpti","pāṭha-bheda","ārāti-prāṇa-haraṇa","rakṣas-vināśa","vahni-upāsanā"],"quick_summary":"The verse records recension-variants promising abundant food and states that daily attendance upon the sacred fire grants sustenance and acts as a protective rite against enemies and harmful beings."}
Concept: Nitya-karma (daily observance) as both sustenance-support and protective order; continuity (‘parityṛcā’) is essential.
Application: Maintain a daily fire-attendance routine with purity and regularity; treat it as both prosperity-practice (anna) and protective discipline (rakṣā).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Agni-upasana and protective rites)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A person tends the sacred fire daily; inscriptions/scrolls show variant readings about food abundance; enemies and dark spirits recoil as the fire blazes steadily.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, strong stylized flames, devotee offering and tending fire daily, side panels with script-like pāṭha-bheda markers (kha ga gha ja / ka cha), shadowy rakṣasas dissolving at the fire’s edge, abundant food vessels depicted nearby","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Agni as sacred presence in the kunda with gold-highlighted flames, devotee with offerings, heaps of grain and food vessels symbolizing ‘hundredfold food’, enemies/spirits pushed to margins, rich gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, semi-diagrammatic: daily routine around fire, labeled variant readings, food stores illustrated, protective boundary around the ritual space, fine line detail","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, domestic courtyard with fire altar, pantry/food abundance shown, faint spectral figures fleeing smoke and light, meticulous objects (ghee pot, ladle, grain sacks)"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भोजनञ्चाप्नुयाच्छतमिति → भोजनम् + च + आप्नुयात् + शतम् + इति; नित्यमन्नमुपस्थितमिति → नित्यम् + अन्नम् + उपस्थितम् + इति; रक्षांस्यपि → रक्षांसि + अपि
Related Themes: Agni Purana 258 (agni-upāsanā and rakṣā); Agni Purana passages on nitya-karma, homa, and rakṣā-mantras elsewhere
FAQs
It teaches the practical result and necessity of daily Agni-sevā (attending/worshipping the sacred fire): prosperity in food and protective efficacy—repelling hostile forces and destroying harmful spirits.
It exemplifies the text’s manual-like coverage of applied religion: concise, outcome-oriented instructions (prosperity + protection) tied to a specific daily rite, alongside variant readings preserved across recensions.
Regular, uninterrupted service of Agni is presented as a merit-bearing discipline that sustains livelihood (anna) and purifies/fortifies one’s life-force, while neutralizing obstructive and malevolent influences.