Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 45
Ṛग्विधानम् (Ṛgvidhāna) — Applications of Ṛgvedic Mantras through Japa and Homa
इन्द्राय च मरुद्भ्यस्तु पर्जन्याय भगाय च यथालिङ्गन्तु विहरेल्लाङ्गलन्तु कृषीबलः
indrāya ca marudbhyastu parjanyāya bhagāya ca yathāliṅgantu viharellāṅgalantu kṛṣībalaḥ
ຜູ້ກະສິກອນຄວນຖວາຍບູຊາແດ່ ອິນດຣະ, ມະຣຸດ, ປະຣະຊັນຍະ, ແລະ ພະຄະ; ແລ້ວຕາມເຄື່ອງໝາຍ (liṅga) ທີ່ກຳນົດ ໃຫ້ດຳເນີນພິທີຕໍ່—ແທ້ຈິງ ກຳລັງແຫ່ງກະສິກຳຄື ໄຖ.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s didactic frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Offer bali/pūjā to rain-and-prosperity deities (Indra, Maruts, Parjanya, Bhaga) as part of agrarian samskāra; then proceed with ploughing and field operations according to prescribed ritual tokens (liṅgas).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kr̥ṣi-devatā Bali: Indra–Marut–Parjanya–Bhaga and the Plough as Kr̥ṣi-bala","lookup_keywords":["Indra","Maruts","Parjanya","Bhaga","lāṅgala"],"quick_summary":"Agriculture is ritually supported by offerings to deities governing rain, winds, and allotment; practical power is symbolized by the plough, the core instrument of cultivation."}
Concept: Interdependence of human effort (lāṅgala/kr̥ṣi-bala) and cosmic forces (Indra/Parjanya/Maruts/Bhaga) in sustaining prosperity.
Application: Combine disciplined labor and ecological reverence: plan ploughing and sowing with seasonal awareness while maintaining communal rites that reinforce responsibility toward rainfall and resources.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Devata-bali & Krishi-samskara (rites connected with offerings to deities and agrarian practice)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cultivator performs offerings to Indra, the Maruts, Parjanya, and Bhaga at the field edge, then takes up the plough, beginning the rites and labor signaled by prescribed tokens.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four deities suggested symbolically in the sky—Indra with vajra, Maruts as wind-forms, Parjanya as rain cloud, Bhaga as radiant giver—below a farmer lifting a plough, ritual lamps and offerings, lush monsoon palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold accents: Indra enthroned above with vajra, rain clouds for Parjanya, stylized Maruts, Bhaga with a golden aura; foreground farmer with ornate plough and offering trays, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional tableau: labeled offerings to each deity, then the ploughing commencement; neat composition showing ‘liṅga’ tokens as small ritual markers, soft colors and fine outlines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly-detailed rural scene, farmer and priest offering at a small altar, dramatic cloudscape indicating Parjanya, wind-swept trees for Maruts, delicate gold for Bhaga’s fortune"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Megh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मरुद्भ्यस्+तु → मरुद्भ्यस्तु; यथा+लिङ्गम्+तु → यथालिङ्गन्तु; विहरेत्+लाङ्गलम्+तु → विहरेल्लाङ्गलन्तु (त् + ल → ल्ल).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 258 (devatā-bali and kr̥ṣi-samskāra sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes devatā-bali/offerings to rain-and-prosperity deities (Indra, Maruts, Parjanya, Bhaga) as a practical rite to support cultivation, followed by acting according to the ritual ‘liṅga’ (prescribed indicators/specifications).
It links religious ritual (bali to specific Vedic deities) with an applied domain—agriculture—showing how the Agni Purana integrates worship, seasonal rain concerns, and livelihood practices into a single instructional framework.
By honoring the deities governing rain, winds, and fortune before undertaking cultivation, the practitioner aligns work with dharma, seeking purity of intention and merit (puṇya) along with material success and timely rainfall.