Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 16
Chapter 367 — नित्यनैमीत्तिकप्राकृतप्रलयाः
The Nitya, Naimittika, and Prākṛta Dissolutions
स्थानात् स्थानं दशगुणमेकस्माद्गुण्यते स्थले ततो ऽष्टादशमे भागे परार्धमभिधीयते
sthānāt sthānaṃ daśaguṇamekasmādguṇyate sthale tato 'ṣṭādaśame bhāge parārdhamabhidhīyate
एक स्थान-मूल्य से अगले स्थान पर संख्या दस गुनी होती है; और उससे अठारहवें विभाग पर ‘परार्ध’ नामक इकाई कही गई है।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha, standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Decimal place-value scaling for cosmological/kalpa-time and large-number reckoning used in Purāṇic astronomy and chronology.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Daśaguṇa-sthāna-vṛddhi and Parārdha (10-fold place-value up to the 18th)","lookup_keywords":["daśaguṇa","sthāna","parārdha","saṅkhyā","place-value"],"quick_summary":"Each higher place-value is ten times the previous; at the eighteenth step the named unit ‘parārdha’ is defined, serving as a standard large-number marker in Purāṇic computations."}
Concept: Saṅkhyā (enumeration) as a tool to grasp cosmic magnitudes through systematic place-value expansion.
Application: Use decimal scaling to interpret Purāṇic time/space measures consistently across lists of yugas, manvantaras, and kalpas.
Khanda Section: Jyotisha & Sankhya (Cosmological Measures and Large Numbers)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage demonstrates a place-value chart where each column increases tenfold, culminating in the labeled unit ‘parārdha’ at the eighteenth position.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, ochre-red background, a seated rishi with palm-leaf manuscript and a stylized numeric place-value grid, Sanskrit labels for sthāna and parārdha, flat iconic composition, traditional ornamentation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on a manuscript and counting-board, rishi in rich garments, ornate frame, the word ‘परार्ध’ emphasized in gilded script, devotional yet instructional mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, a clear decimal place-value table with tenfold arrows, rishi pointing with stylus, muted pastel palette, didactic diagrammatic clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scholar-rishi in a study, detailed paper chart of place-values, precise calligraphy ‘परार्ध’, architectural interior with shelves, naturalistic shading."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशगुणम्+एकस्मात् → दशगुणमेकस्मात्; ततो+अष्टादशमे → ततोऽष्टादशमे; परार्धम्+अभिधीयते → परार्धमभिधीयते
Related Themes: Agni Purana 367 (Saṅkhyā/kalā-parimāṇa context); Agni Purana cosmological number-lists in adjacent verses (367.15–367.21)
FAQs
It teaches the decimal place-value principle (each higher place is ten times the previous) and identifies “parārdha” as a named large-number unit reached at a specified place-value step.
Beyond mythology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves technical schemata for computation—numeration, measures, and cosmological magnitudes—useful for Jyotiṣa, calendrics, and Purāṇic cosmography.
By standardizing vast-number reckoning used in cosmology and sacred time, it supports accurate understanding and communication of Purāṇic cosmological scales, reinforcing śāstric clarity (pramāṇa) rather than prescribing a direct ritual act.