Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 8
Abhiṣeka-mantrāḥ
Consecration Mantras
अश्विन्याद्याश् च चन्द्रस्य पुलहस्य तथा प्रियाः भूता च कपिशा दंष्ट्री सुरसा सरमा दनुः
aśvinyādyāś ca candrasya pulahasya tathā priyāḥ bhūtā ca kapiśā daṃṣṭrī surasā saramā danuḥ
ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ ಮತ್ತು ಇತರರು ಚಂದ್ರನಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಿಯರು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಪುಲಹನಿಗೂ ಪ್ರಿಯರು. (ಅವರ ಹೆಸರುಗಳು:) ಭೂತಾ, ಕಪಿಶಾ, ದಂಷ್ಟ್ರೀ, ಸುರಸಾ, ಸರಮಾ ಮತ್ತು ದನು.
Lord Agni (narrating Purāṇic lists to the listener, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Name-recall of mythic beings (wives/associates) for purāṇa-paṭhana, saṅkalpa, and identification of deva/ṛṣi affiliations in ritual storytelling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Candra–Pulaha affiliations: Aśvinī-ādi and Bhūtā–Kapiśā–Daṃṣṭrī–Surasā–Saramā–Danu","lookup_keywords":["Candra dear ones","Pulaha dear ones","Saramā","Danu","Surasā"],"quick_summary":"A compact onomastic list linking named feminine beings to Candra and Pulaha, serving as a mnemonic index within purāṇic cosmology."}
Concept: Paurāṇika knowledge often functions as a structured index—names encode relationships and categories within the cosmos.
Application: Treat lists as lookup tables: when a name appears elsewhere (e.g., Saramā, Danu), recall its network (deva/ṛṣi associations) for coherent interpretation.
Khanda Section: Puranic Cosmology & Genealogies (Devas, Rishis, and their lineages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A celestial register: Candra (Moon) enthroned with a cool aura; sage Pulaha seated in tapas; around them appear personified figures—Bhūtā, Kapiśā, Daṃṣṭrī, Surasā, Saramā, Danu—each with subtle symbolic traits.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Candra with crescent crown and cool blue-white palette, Pulaha as ascetic sage, surrounding female personifications with distinct colors and attributes (serpentine hint for Surasā, canine messenger hint for Saramā), bold outlines and temple border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Candra with gold halo and silvered moon disc, Pulaha with gold aureole, attendant figures in ornate jewelry, embossed gold work, symmetrical arrangement.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, labeled figures in a clean didactic composition, soft gradients, emphasis on recognizable iconographic cues for each named being.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night-sky court of the Moon with delicate stars, Pulaha in a hermitage vignette, named women depicted in refined attire, fine brushwork and calligraphic captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अश्विन्याद्याः+च→अश्विन्याद्याश्च
Related Themes: Agni Purana cosmology lists of devī/apsaras/nāginī/dānavī groups (adjacent catalogues)
FAQs
This verse primarily imparts onomastic and cosmological knowledge—an enumerative identification of named beings associated as ‘beloved’ to Candra and Pulaha—rather than a direct ritual procedure.
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s cataloguing style: preserving Purāṇic databases of names, affiliations, and relationships among devas/ṛṣis, which function as reference material alongside its sections on ritual, polity, medicine, and poetics.
Knowing and reciting Purāṇic names and affiliations is traditionally treated as smṛti-based merit (puṇya) through remembrance (smaraṇa) of divine/cosmic order, supporting devotional recollection and scriptural literacy.