Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 16
Āgneya-Purāṇa-māhātmya
The Greatness and Self-Testimony of the Agni Purāṇa
ये ददाति तिलप्रस्थं सुवर्णस्य च माषकं शृणोति श्लोकमेकञ्च आग्नेयस्य तदाप्नुयात्
ye dadāti tilaprasthaṃ suvarṇasya ca māṣakaṃ śṛṇoti ślokamekañca āgneyasya tadāpnuyāt
Quiconque donne une mesure d’un prastha de sésame et un poids d’un māṣaka d’or, et écoute ne fût-ce qu’un seul śloka de l’Agni Purāṇa, obtient ce même mérite.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) addressing Sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Combining modest dāna (sesame and gold) with even minimal śravaṇa (one śloka) to secure equivalent merit—useful for householders planning charity and recitation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Tiladāna + Suvarṇa-dāna with Agni Purāṇa śravaṇa: merit equivalence","lookup_keywords":["tiladāna","suvarṇa-dāna","prastha","māṣaka","śloka-śravaṇa"],"quick_summary":"A specific donation measure (prastha of sesame, māṣaka of gold) paired with hearing one verse is declared to yield the stated merit. The verse functions like a compact merit-formula for dāna practice."}
Concept: Dāna gains heightened efficacy when yoked to śāstra-śravaṇa; even minimal engagement with sacred text is valorized.
Application: On auspicious days, offer sesame (til) and a small gold donation according to capacity, and ensure at least one verse is heard/recited with attention.
Khanda Section: Dana-dharma (Charity and Merit of Hearing/Recitation)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor offers a vessel of sesame and a small gold weight to a brāhmaṇa/reciter while a single verse is being chanted from the Agni Purāṇa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, donor holding a brass vessel of sesame, small gold piece on a leaf, paurāṇika chanting from palm-leaf, temple lamp glowing, restrained devotional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold leaf highlighting the sesame vessel and the manuscript, donor in reverent pose, ornate borders, emphasis on auspiciousness and dāna","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, precise depiction of measures (prastha container, māṣaka weight), reciter chanting one śloka, didactic composition, soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life of sesame container and gold weight, intimate indoor recitation scene, fine calligraphic manuscript, attentive expressions"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्लोकमेकञ्च→श्लोकम् एकम् च; तदाप्नुयात्→तत् आप्नुयात्.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 382 (dāna-dharma and phala-śruti cluster); Agni Purāṇa dāna sections (general)
FAQs
It teaches a dāna-śravaṇa principle: specific quantified gifts (a prastha of sesame and a māṣaka of gold) and the act of hearing even one Agni Purāṇa verse are declared to yield an equivalent religious merit (puṇya).
Alongside subjects like ritual, polity, and śāstra, the Agni Purāṇa also systematizes dharma practices—here, by specifying measurable charity-units and linking them to Purāṇic listening (śravaṇa) as a formal means of accruing merit.
It elevates śravaṇa (devotional listening) of the Agni Purāṇa to a high-merit act, equating it with tangible charitable gifts, thereby emphasizing accessible paths to puṇya through both giving and sacred hearing.