Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 24

Devapūjā, Vaiśvadeva Offering, and Bali (देवपूजावैश्वदेवबलिः)

Devanagari script

तन्मात्रे दक्षिणाग्रेषु कुशेष्वेवं यजेत् पितॄन् इन्द्रवारुणवायव्या याम्या वा नैरृताय ये

Transliteration

tanmātre dakṣiṇāgreṣu kuśeṣvevaṃ yajet pitṝn indravāruṇavāyavyā yāmyā vā nairṛtāya ye

Translation

លើទីកន្លែងពិធីដែលបានវាស់កំណត់នោះ ដោយប្រើស្មៅកុស (kuśa) ដែលចុងស្មៅបែរទៅខាងត្បូង គួរបូជាព្រះបិត្រ (Pitṛs) តាមរបៀបនេះ ដោយអញ្ជើញក្រុមដែលពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងឥន្ទ្រ (Indra) វរុណ (Varuṇa) និងវាយុ (Vāyu) ឬក្រុមនៃទិសយម (Yama) ឬក្រុមនៃទិសនៃរឋ (Nairṛta) ខាងនិរតី។

Word by Word

• tat-mātre: to that mother
• tat-mātre: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + mātṛ (मातृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; ‘to that mother’

• dakṣiṇa-agreṣu: on the south-pointed ends
• dakṣiṇa-agreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); Tatpuruṣa ‘dakṣiṇeṣu agreṣu’ = ‘on the south-pointed tips’

• kuśeṣu: on/among the kuśa grasses
• kuśeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (कुश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• evam: thus; in this manner
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• yajet: should worship/perform offering
• yajet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (यज् धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• indra-vāruṇa-vāyavyāḥ: (directions) of Indra, Varuṇa, and Vāyu
• indra-vāruṇa-vāyavyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक) + vāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāyavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; Dvandva enumerative, qualifying (diśaḥ implied)

• yāmyāḥ: southern (of Yama)
• yāmyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying (diśaḥ implied)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात)

• nairṛtāya: to Nairṛta (southwest)
• nairṛtāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nairṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; (to Nairṛta / Nirṛti’s quarter)

• ye: who/which
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun

Speaker

Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa narration style)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: Kingdom

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: kuśeṣu+evam → kuśeṣv evam (v→ṣv sandhi).

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Kuśa
• Indra
• Varuṇa
• Vāyu
• Yama
• Nairṛta

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It specifies a Śrāddha/Pitṛ-yajana procedure: seat/arrange kuśa with south-pointing tips (dakṣiṇāgra) and invoke Pitṛ-groups by their directional associations (Indra–Varuṇa–Vāyu, Yama, or Nairṛta).

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

It functions as a compact ritual manual entry—preserving precise liturgical details (orientation, materials, and deity-group mapping)—showing how the Agni Purāṇa catalogs practical rites alongside theology and other sciences.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

Correct orientation and invocation are treated as essential for directing offerings to the Pitṛs; performed properly, the rite is understood to support ancestral satisfaction (pitṛ-prīti) and generate purificatory merit for the performer’s lineage.