Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 49
Chapter 282 — नानारोगहराण्यौषधानि
Medicines that Remove Various Diseases
पिष्ट्वा लिप्य पदे द्वे च चरेदङ्गारके नरः तृणौत्थानादिकं व्यूह्य दर्शयन्वै कुतूहलं
piṣṭvā lipya pade dve ca caredaṅgārake naraḥ tṛṇautthānādikaṃ vyūhya darśayanvai kutūhalaṃ
उस द्रव्य को पीसकर दोनों पैरों पर लेप करे; फिर मनुष्य अंगारों पर चले। तृण-उत्थान आदि को क्रम से सजाकर वह निश्चय ही कौतुक (अद्भुत) दिखाता है।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Demonstrative/occult performance: preparing a paste, smearing on feet, and walking over embers; staging straw/grass effects to create public marvel (kautūhala).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṅgāraka-caraṇa (Walking on Embers) Demonstration with Foot-Smeared Paste","lookup_keywords":["aṅgāraka","pāda-lepa","fire-walking","kautūhala","abhicāra-prayoga"],"quick_summary":"A paste is prepared and applied to the feet to enable walking over embers; additional arranged effects with grass/straw are used to display a marvel."}
Concept: Kriyā-siddhi through applied substances and staged ritual action to produce extraordinary effects.
Application: Frames a reproducible ‘prayoga’ for public demonstration, emphasizing technique and arrangement (vyūha).
Khanda Section: Tantric-Kriya / Abhicara-Prayoga (Ritual actions and occult demonstrations)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner with paste-smeared feet walks across glowing embers while assistants arrange grass and straw formations to heighten the spectacle; onlookers watch in astonishment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bold outlines, ember bed as stylized red-orange band, practitioner mid-step with ritual composure, attendants placing grass bundles, crowd in profile rows, temple-courtyard feel.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights on ember glow and ornaments, central figure stepping on embers, decorative border, attendants holding straw, dramatic yet iconic symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined instructional depiction: preparation of paste, application to feet, then ember-walk; subtle flames, calm facial expressions, annotated props.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night courtyard with detailed ember texture, spectators in varied garments, attendants arranging straw patterns, dynamic movement captured with fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cared+aṅgārake→चरेदङ्गारके; darśayan+vai→दर्शयन् वै.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 282 (abhicāra and practical demonstrations); Agni Purana 283 (transition to mantra-based therapeutics)
FAQs
It teaches a practical abhicāra/kautuka procedure: prepare a paste (ground substance), smear it on the feet, and then perform controlled walking on embers while arranging straw/grass effects to produce a visible marvel.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogues applied techniques—ritual actions, protective/occult practices, and public demonstrations—showing its wide scope across pragmatic and specialized domains.
Within the text’s abhicāra/kautuka frame, the act is presented as a ritualized display of mastery over fire and phenomena; its significance lies in demonstrating siddhi-like control rather than a general purification rite.