Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 21
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
मत्स्यो हि मनवे दद्याद्विषुवे हेममत्स्यवत् गारुडञ्चाष्टसाहस्रं विष्णूक्तन्तार्क्षकल्पके
matsyo hi manave dadyādviṣuve hemamatsyavat gāruḍañcāṣṭasāhasraṃ viṣṇūktantārkṣakalpake
વિષુવે બ્રાહ્મણને સુવર્ણ માછલીના રૂપે માછલી દાન આપવી; તેમજ વિષ્ણુપ્રોક્ત તાર્ક્ષ-કલ્પમાં ગારુડ-દાનનું ફળ આઠ હજાર કહેવાયું છે।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, narrating purāṇic dharma to a sage, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"On viṣuva, perform matsya-dāna as a golden fish to a brāhmaṇa; additionally observe the Viṣṇu-proclaimed Tārkṣya-kalpa rule where a Gāruḍa-related gift yields eight-thousand merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Viṣuva Matsya-dāna and Tārkṣya-kalpa Gāruḍa-phala","lookup_keywords":["matsya-dāna","hema-matsya","viṣuva","tārkṣya-kalpa","gāruḍa aṣṭasahasra"],"quick_summary":"At the equinox, donate a gold fish-form gift to a brāhmaṇa; the Tārkṣya-kalpa tradition attributes an eight-thousand merit to the Gāruḍa-related observance."}
Alamkara Type: Śāstra-sūcana (textual citation)
Concept: Symbolic dāna aligns the donor with avatāra/vāhana principles (Matsya, Garuḍa) and with cosmic order marked by viṣuva.
Application: Use icon-form substitutes (gold fish/bird token) for prescribed dānas; time them to viṣuva for heightened ritual efficacy.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Ritual Gifts and Merit on Sacred Days)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At equinox sunrise, a donor offers a gold fish icon to a brāhmaṇa; nearby a Garuḍa banner/emblem indicates the Tārkṣya-kalpa, with ‘8,000’ merit symbolized by a bead-count or coin piles.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: riverbank/equinox sun, brāhmaṇa seated, donor presenting a shining hema-matsya on a tray, Garuḍa flag fluttering, stylized bead-string indicating aṣṭasahasra.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold fish icon with embossed gold leaf, Garuḍa emblem in the background, ornate lamps and arch, rich reds and greens, devotional Vaiṣṇava atmosphere.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean instructional scene—fish-shaped gold object, labeled ‘hema-matsya’, and a Garuḍa insignia labeled ‘tārkṣya-kalpa’, balanced equinox sun motif, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: patron gifting a gold fish to a learned brāhmaṇa, attendants holding a Garuḍa standard, meticulous rendering of jewelry and textiles, garden terrace at dawn."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्याद्विषुवे = दद्यात् + विषुवे; गारुडञ्च = गारुडम् + च; अष्टसाहस्रं = अष्टसाहस्रम् (रूपान्तर/प्रयोगभेद); विष्णूक्तन्तार्क्षकल्पके = विष्णूक्तम् + तार्क्षकल्पके (अनुस्वार/सन्धि).
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 271.19–23 (sequence of animal-form dānas and Purāṇa authorities)
FAQs
It prescribes a viṣuva (equinox) dāna: offering a fish fashioned in gold to a qualified recipient, and notes a Garuḍa/Tārkṣa-kalpa rite whose stated merit is ‘eight thousand’ units.
It catalogues calendrical dharma (equinox observances), specific iconographic gift-forms (golden fish), and cross-references a named ritual manual (Tārkṣa-kalpa), showing how the text compiles diverse ritual procedures and their phala.
Performing the prescribed equinox gift is presented as a high-merit act (puṇya), with the Garuḍa/Tārkṣa-kalpa explicitly linked to a large stated fruit (aṣṭasāhasra), indicating amplified karmic benefit through timely, rule-based charity.