Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 18
Chapter 39 — भूपरिग्रहविधानम्
Bhū-parigraha-vidhāna: Procedure for Acquiring and Ritually Securing Land
सर्वे ते व्यपगच्छन्तु स्थानं कुर्यामहं हरेः हलेन वाहयित्वा गां गोभिश् चैवावदारयेत्
sarve te vyapagacchantu sthānaṃ kuryāmahaṃ hareḥ halena vāhayitvā gāṃ gobhiś caivāvadārayet
「それら一切の（障碍・不浄）よ、去れ。われはハリ（Hari）の場を整える。牡牛を鋤に繋いで地を耕し、また牛たちに踏ませて清めよ。」
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vastu","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Kṣetra-śuddhi and site-preparation for Hari’s shrine/altar: verbal dismissal of doṣas, ploughing, and cow-treading to purify and level the ground.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kṣetra-śuddhi for Hari: ploughing with bull and cow-treading","lookup_keywords":["kṣetra-śuddhi","Hari-sthāna","hala","go","vāstu-śodhana"],"quick_summary":"Command obstacles to depart, then ritually and physically prepare the site by ploughing with a bull and having cows tread/clear it—combining mantra-śuddhi with agrarian purification."}
Concept: Outer order (bhūmi-saṃskāra) supports inner order (devatā-ārādhana); purity is enacted through both speech-act and physical preparation.
Application: Before building or consecration, perform a formal dismissal of impediments and ensure the land is tilled/compacted and cleared in a ritually acceptable manner.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Kshetra-Vastu (Temple-site preparation and consecration instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha/River/Mountain/Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest declares the departure of impurities, then a bull yoked to a plough turns the soil; cows are led across the site to tread and clear it, marking the ground for Hari’s sacred place.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple-site clearing scene, priest with raised hand in dismissal gesture, bull and wooden plough, cows walking in a line over the earth, simple shrine marker for Hari, earthy reds/ochres, stylized foliage","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on ritual implements, priest near a small Viṣṇu emblem, bull-plough in foreground, cows treading the field, ornate border, saturated colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic clarity: plough lines on ground, bull yoke details, cows’ hoofprints, priest speech ribbon ‘vyapaga-cchantu’, calm instructional composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pastoral realism: ploughed furrows, attendants guiding bull and cows, priest in corner blessing the site, architectural plan hints in background, fine detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैवावदारयेत् = च + एव + अवदारयेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 39 (pūjā-vidhi / kṣetra-vāstu sequence)
FAQs
Practical kṣetra-śuddhi and sthāna-nirmāṇa: the ground for Hari’s sacred site is ritually purified and prepared by ploughing (hala) with a draught animal and by having cows tread/clear the area, coupled with an apotropaic dismissal of obstacles.
It preserves applied knowledge at the intersection of ritual (pūjā-vidhi) and sacred architecture/land science (vāstu): concrete, stepwise procedures for preparing a temple-site, showing the Purāṇa’s coverage beyond mythology into technical praxis.
Preparing Hari’s site through sanctioned acts (ploughing and cow-contact) functions as purification and obstacle-removal, aligning the land with sattva and auspiciousness so worship yields stable merit (puṇya) and fewer ritual impediments.