Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 11

Bala-graha-hara Bāla-tantram (बालग्रहहर बालतन्त्रम्) — Pediatric protection and graha-affliction management

Devanagari script

मेषशृङ्गबलालोध्रशिलातालैः शिशुं लिपेत् फट्कारी तु ग्रही षष्ठी भयमोहप्ररोदनं

Transliteration

meṣaśṛṅgabalālodhraśilātālaiḥ śiśuṃ lipet phaṭkārī tu grahī ṣaṣṭhī bhayamohaprarodanaṃ

Translation

ആട്ടുകൊമ്പ്, ബലാ, ലോധ്രം, ശിലാ, താലം (ഹർത്താൽ) എന്നിവ ചേർത്ത ലേപം ശിശുവിന് പുരട്ടണം. ഭയം, മോഹം, അത്യധികം കരച്ചിൽ എന്നിവ ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്ന ‘ഷഷ്ഠീ’ എന്ന ഗ്രഹിയുടെ ഉപദ്രവത്തിന് ഇത് പ്രതിവിധിയാണ്.

Word by Word

• मेष-शृङ्ग-बलā-लोध्र-शिला-तालैः: with ram’s horn, bala, lodhra, stone, and tāla (ingredients)
• मेष-शृङ्ग-बलā-लोध्र-शिला-तालैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष-शृङ्ग + बला + लोध्र + शिला + ताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार), तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (copulative): ‘with ram’s horn, bala, lodhra, stone, and tāla’

• शिशुम्: the child
• शिशुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• लिपेत्: should smear/anoint
• लिपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• फट्कारी: (the graha/demon) Phaṭkārī
• फट्कारी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फट्कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नाम (designation)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• ग्रही: the seizing spirit (graha)
• ग्रही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहिन्/ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘ग्रही’ = seizer (graha)

• षष्ठी: the sixth (day/phase)
• षष्ठी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• भय-मोह-प्ररोदनम्: fear, delusion, and excessive crying
• भय-मोह-प्ररोदनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय + मोह + प्ररोदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व/समाहारः—‘fear, delusion, and excessive crying’ (as symptoms)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: मेषशृङ्गबलालोध्रशिलातालैः parsed as a copulative list; internal sandhi resolved by segmentation. भयमोहप्ररोदनम् = भय + मोह + प्ररोदनम्.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣaṣṭhī (child-protecting/child-afflicting graha)
• Graha (spirit-affliction)
• Balā (Sida cordifolia)
• Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa)
• Tāla (orpiment)

FAQs

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

It teaches a Bhūta-vidyā/Ayurvedic-style protective application (lepa/anointing) for infants using specific substances to counter the child-afflicting graha Ṣaṣṭhī, associated with fear, confusion, and persistent crying.

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

Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical health-protection protocols—naming ingredients, method (smearing), and the targeted condition (graha-affliction)—showing its wide coverage of medicine, folk-ritual, and applied healing.

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

It functions as a śānti (pacificatory) measure: protecting a vulnerable child from harmful influences (graha-doṣa), restoring mental calm (removing bhaya and moha) and wellbeing, which is treated as both a religious duty and a meritorious act of guardianship.