Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 6

Saṃskāra-kathana

Account of the Saṃskāras

Devanagari script

चातुर्मास्यं पशुबन्धः सौत्रामणिरथापरः सोमसंस्थाः सप्त शृणु अग्निष्टोमः क्रतूत्तमः

Transliteration

cāturmāsyaṃ paśubandhaḥ sautrāmaṇirathāparaḥ somasaṃsthāḥ sapta śṛṇu agniṣṭomaḥ kratūttamaḥ

Translation

കേൾക്കുക—സോമസംസ്ഥകൾ ഏഴാണ്; അതിൽ ചാതുർമാസ്യകർമ്മങ്ങൾ, പശുബന്ധം (പശുവർപ്പണം) 그리고 സൗത്രാമണി മുതലായവ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു; അവയിൽ അഗ്നിഷ്ടോമം ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ക്രതു ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• चातुर्मास्यम्: cāturmāsya rite
• चातुर्मास्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक; चातुर्+मास्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (four-monthly rite)

• पशुबन्धः: paśubandha (animal sacrifice)
• पशुबन्धः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशुबन्ध (प्रातिपदिक; पशु+बन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सूचीपद

• सौत्रामणिः: sautrāmaṇi sacrifice
• सौत्रामणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौत्रामणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सूचीपद

• अथ: then/next
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/next)

• अपरः: another/next
• अपरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (another/next)

• सोमसंस्थाः: soma-sacrifice sessions (somasaṃsthās)
• सोमसंस्थाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमसंस्था (प्रातिपदिक; सोम+संस्था)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सूचीपद

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा (1) बहुवचनार्थे

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अग्निष्टोमः: agniṣṭoma (a soma sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि+स्तोम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सूचीपद

• क्रतूत्तमः: best of sacrifices
• क्रतूत्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रतूत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; क्रतु+उत्तम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative: best among sacrifices)

Speaker

Lord Agni (teaching the ritual taxonomy to sage Vasiṣṭha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: सौत्रामणिरथापरः = सौत्रामणिः + अथ + अपरः (visarga sandhi: ः + अ → र्); क्रतूत्तमः = क्रतु + उत्तम (u-u sandhi).

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Agniṣṭoma
• Cāturmāsya
• Paśubandha
• Sautrāmaṇī
• Soma

FAQs

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

It gives a ritual taxonomy: it names key Soma-related sacrificial systems (saṃsthās) and identifies Agniṣṭoma as the principal/standard Soma sacrifice within that framework.

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

By cataloging and ranking major Vedic rites (Cāturmāsya, Paśubandha, Sautrāmaṇī, and the Soma-saṃsthā scheme), it functions like a reference index of ritual science (yajña-vidhi) embedded within a Purāṇic compendium.

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

Correctly knowing the hierarchy and type of sacrifices is presented as a prerequisite for proper performance (vidhi), which traditionally yields purification (śuddhi) and merit (puṇya), with Agniṣṭoma singled out as especially meritorious among Soma rites.