Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 28
Devapūjā, Vaiśvadeva Offering, and Bali (देवपूजावैश्वदेवबलिः)
ग्रोग्रासञ्च स्वस्त्ययनं कृत्वा भिक्षां प्रदापयेत् अतिथीन्दीनान् पूजयित्वा गृही भुञ्जीत च स्वयं
grogrāsañca svastyayanaṃ kṛtvā bhikṣāṃ pradāpayet atithīndīnān pūjayitvā gṛhī bhuñjīta ca svayaṃ
प्रथम ग्रास-आहुति और स्वस्त्ययन करके फिर भिक्षा/अन्न दान देना चाहिए। अतिथियों और दीनों का पूजन-सत्कार करके गृहस्थ को बाद में स्वयं भोजन करना चाहिए।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s common dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Household meal protocol: perform svastyayana and first-morsel rite, feed guests/poor first, then eat oneself.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Gṛhastha bhojana-vidhi: svastyayana, first morsel, atithi-sevā, then self-meal","lookup_keywords":["svastyayana","atithi-sevā","dīna","bhikṣā","gṛhastha-bhojana"],"quick_summary":"A householder should sanctify the meal, offer the first portion, give food/alms, honor guests and the needy, and only then eat—making daily eating an act of dharma."}
Concept: Priority of others (atithi, dīna) and ritual auspiciousness before personal consumption.
Application: Adopt a ‘serve-first’ meal discipline: set aside a portion for guests/needful and maintain a short pre-meal sanctification routine.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Grihastha-dharma (Atithi-seva and Bhojana-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder completes an auspicious pre-meal rite, offers the first morsel, distributes food to guests and the poor, and then sits to eat.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic veranda with brass lamp, householder offering first morsel, guests seated respectfully, a needy person receiving food, serene dharmic household ambiance","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central seated atithi being honored with a plate, householder standing with offering, gold foil highlights on vessels and lamp, rich textile patterns","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, step-by-step instructional composition: (1) svastyayana gesture, (2) first morsel, (3) giving bhikṣā, (4) householder eating; fine outlines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed dining courtyard, servants distributing food, guests and a poor petitioner at the gate receiving alms, refined architectural backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: grogrāsaṃ ca → go-grāsaṃ ca; atithīndīnān → atithīn dīnān.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 263 (Vaiśvadeva/bali and domestic worship sequence)
FAQs
It teaches the sequence of a householder’s meal: perform svastyayana and the first-morsel observance, give bhiksha (food/alms), honor guests and the needy, and only then eat.
Beyond theology, it codifies practical domestic dharma—daily rites, charity, and social ethics—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of lived religious practice alongside wider subjects.
Prioritizing guests and the distressed before one’s own consumption is presented as dharmic conduct that purifies livelihood and food, generating merit through hospitality and charity.