Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 370: नरकनिरूपणम्
Naraka-nirūpaṇa) — Description of Hell (with the physiology of dying and the subtle transition
याम्यं मार्गं महाघोरं षडशीतिसहस्रकम् अन्नोदकं नीयमानो बान्धवैर् दत्तमश्नुते
yāmyaṃ mārgaṃ mahāghoraṃ ṣaḍaśītisahasrakam annodakaṃ nīyamāno bāndhavair dattamaśnute
八万六千ヨージャナに及ぶ、きわめて恐ろしい「閻魔の道」を引き立てられつつ、彼は親族が施した食と水とを受用する。
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Supports śrāddha/udaka-dāna practice by stating that offerings by relatives become sustenance for the departed on the Yama-path.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Yāmya-mārga length and preta’s dependence on anna-udaka offerings","lookup_keywords":["yāmya-mārga","86000 yojana","anna-udaka","śrāddha","preta-yātrā"],"quick_summary":"The departed is led along the terrifying Yama-road said to span 86,000 yojanas, and he subsists on food and water offered by his kin—linking ritual giving to post-mortem welfare."}
Concept: Interdependence of the living and departed through dāna/śrāddha; ritual acts have trans-world efficacy.
Application: Perform timely śrāddha with anna and udaka offerings, and cultivate family responsibility (bandhu-dharma).
Khanda Section: Preta-yatra & Naraka-varnana (After-death journey; karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Pathway/Otherworld route
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A long, desolate otherworld road stretching to the horizon; the preta led by Yamadūtas, receiving small bowls of food and water symbolically sent by relatives performing śrāddha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; sweeping serpentine road labeled yāmya-mārga; Yamadūtas guiding a pale subtle figure; at one corner, a domestic śrāddha scene with offerings transforming into luminous anna-udaka flowing toward the traveler.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore; central procession on a gold-bordered path; stylized vessels of water and rice glowing; inset medallion of relatives offering piṇḍa and udaka; rich reds and greens with gold highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore; didactic composition: top shows ‘86000 yojana’ as a long measured path; bottom shows śrāddha ritual and the offered food-water reaching the preta; fine ornament, calm but somber palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; panoramic landscape with an endless road; small figures in procession; a separate courtyard scene of relatives giving alms/offerings; delicate clouds and muted tones conveying dread."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अन्नोदकम् = अन्न-उदकम् (द्वन्द्व); बान्धवैर् = बान्धवैः (विसर्ग/रेफ्-सन्धि); दत्तम् + अश्नुते → दत्तमश्नुते (म् + अ)
Related Themes: Agni Purana sections on śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna, udaka-kriyā within the Preta–Yama-loka Vidhi sequence
FAQs
It conveys the Śrāddha-related principle that the departed, while being conducted on the Yama-path, can partake of (i.e., receive the benefit of) food and water offerings made by relatives.
Alongside theology, it preserves a detailed map of post-death cosmology (Yama-mārga with quantified distance) and links it to applied ritual practice (offerings by kin), combining metaphysics with household dharma.
It underscores intergenerational dharma: offerings made with faith become supportive provisions for the departed on a fearsome transitional journey, reinforcing the merit and necessity of ancestral rites.