Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 7
Chapter 369 — शरीरावयवाः
The Limbs/Organs and Constituents of the Body
श्लेष्मणश्चामपित्ताभ्यां पक्वाशयस्तु पञ्चमः वायुमूत्राशयः सप्तः स्त्रीणां गर्भाशयो ऽष्टमः
śleṣmaṇaścāmapittābhyāṃ pakvāśayastu pañcamaḥ vāyumūtrāśayaḥ saptaḥ strīṇāṃ garbhāśayo 'ṣṭamaḥ
Le pakvāśaya (gros intestin) est le cinquième réceptacle, associé à kapha et à āma-pitta. Le vāyu-āśaya et le mūtra-āśaya (vessie) sont comptés comme le septième ; et chez les femmes, le garbhāśaya (utérus) est le huitième.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Clinical localization of doṣa/dūṣya processes by identifying āśayas (pakvāśaya, vāyu-āśaya, mūtrāśaya, garbhāśaya), aiding diagnosis of digestive, urinary, and gynecological conditions and guiding diet/lifestyle/therapy selection.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Āśaya Enumeration: Pakvāśaya, Vāyu-āśaya, Mūtrāśaya, and Garbhāśaya","lookup_keywords":["pakvāśaya","āma-pitta","śleṣman (kapha)","mūtrāśaya","garbhāśaya"],"quick_summary":"Identifies pakvāśaya as a key receptacle linked with kapha and āma-pitta, counts vāyu-āśaya and mūtrāśaya among the āśayas, and adds garbhāśaya as an additional receptacle in women. Provides an anatomical-functional map for digestive, urinary, and reproductive assessment."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Body as an ordered system of ‘receptacles’ where functional principles (doṣas, wastes, reproductive capacity) reside; knowledge supports right action (yukti) in care.
Application: Use ‘seat-based’ thinking: identify where a process is rooted (pakvāśaya/mūtrāśaya/garbhāśaya) before intervening, avoiding purely symptom-based treatment.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Śārīra / Anatomy & Physiology)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An anatomical teaching scene highlighting the lower abdomen: pakvāśaya (large intestine) marked, vāyu-āśaya and mūtrāśaya indicated, and in a female figure the garbhāśaya shown distinctly; subtle color-coding for kapha/āma-pitta associations.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: two standing figures (male and female) with stylized transparent abdomen; pakvāśaya, mūtrāśaya, vāyu-āśaya labeled in traditional script; garbhāśaya highlighted in the female; bold flat colors and ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: devotional-instructional hybrid—Dhanvantari-like physician figure blessing, with gold-embossed anatomical medallions showing pakvāśaya and mūtrāśaya; separate inset for garbhāśaya in women; rich gold work and saturated palette.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clear medical diagram style—teacher points to labeled organs in a scroll; color-coded kapha and āma-pitta notes near pakvāśaya; separate panel for female garbhāśaya; fine linework and legible layout.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: court physician demonstrating anatomical chart to students; male and female outlines with highlighted lower abdominal organs; meticulous detailing, calligraphic labels, scholarly ambience with books and instruments."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kharaharapriya","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śleṣmaṇaścāmapittābhyām = śleṣmaṇaḥ + ca + āma-pittābhyām; pakvāśayaḥ = pakva + āśayaḥ; vāyumūtrāśayaḥ = vāyu + mūtra + āśayaḥ; garbhāśayo 'ṣṭamaḥ = garbhāśayaḥ + aṣṭamaḥ (visarga sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Ayurveda-śārīra chapters on āśaya, koṣṭha, doṣa-sthāna; Agni Purana: sections on doṣa (vāta/pitta/kapha) and āma
FAQs
Ayurvedic śārīra-vidyā: it enumerates specific āśayas (visceral receptacles/organs) and links them with doṣic/physiological associations (kapha, āma-pitta, vāyu), including sex-specific anatomy (garbhāśaya).
It shows the Purāṇa functioning as a compendium by embedding technical Ayurvedic anatomy—organ classification, doṣa theory, and reproductive anatomy—alongside its broader religious, ritual, and cultural teachings.
By mapping the body in doṣa-based terms, it supports dharmic self-care (ārogya as a means to sustain sādhana and duty); understanding bodily seats of imbalance aids purification and disciplined living rather than being a direct ritual-atonement verse.