Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 2
Prayāga-māhātmya
Conclusion Notice
रुद्र उवाच गौरीक्षेत्रं न मुक्तं वै अविमुक्तं ततः स्मृतं अन्नदानाद्दिवमिति ख , ग , घ , ङ , छ , ज च तीर्थं वानरकं परमिति ख , ग , घ , ङ च वाराणसीमिति ख , घ च वसतां शृणुतां हरिमिति ग , घ , ङ च जप्तं तप्तं दत्तममविमुक्ते विलाक्षयं
rudra uvāca gaurīkṣetraṃ na muktaṃ vai avimuktaṃ tataḥ smṛtaṃ annadānāddivamiti kha , ga , gha , ṅa , cha , ja ca tīrthaṃ vānarakaṃ paramiti kha , ga , gha , ṅa ca vārāṇasīmiti kha , gha ca vasatāṃ śṛṇutāṃ harimiti ga , gha , ṅa ca japtaṃ taptaṃ dattamamavimukte vilākṣayaṃ
രുദ്രൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇത് ഗൗരിയുടെ പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രം; ഇത് യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ‘വിട്ടുകളയാത്തത്’, അതിനാൽ ‘അവിമുക്തം’ എന്നു സ്മരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അന്നദാനത്താൽ സ്വർഗ്ഗപ്രാപ്തി ലഭിക്കുന്നു. ഇത് വാനരകം എന്ന പരമ തീർത്ഥം; ഇതിനെ വാരാണസിയെന്നും പറയുന്നു. അവിടെ വസിക്കുന്നവർക്കും അവിടെ ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവർക്കും ഹരിയാണ് ഫലം. അവിമുക്തത്തിൽ ചെയ്ത ജപം, തപസ്, ദാനം എല്ലാം അക്ഷയമാകുന്നു.
Rudra (Śiva)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage planning for Kāśī/Avimukta with emphasis on annadāna, śravaṇa, japa, tapas, and dāna as merit-multipliers within the kṣetra.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Avimukta (Gaurīkṣetra) Mahimā: Annadāna and Akṣaya-phala","lookup_keywords":["Avimukta","Gaurīkṣetra","annadāna","Vānaraka","Vārāṇasī"],"quick_summary":"Avimukta (Kāśī) is declared ‘never forsaken’ and thus uniquely merit-bearing. Acts like annadāna, japa, tapas, and dāna performed there yield imperishable (akṣaya) results."}
Concept: Deśa-viśeṣa (kṣetra) intensifies karma-phala; dāna and śravaṇa in a sacred field become akṣaya.
Application: Prioritize annadāna and disciplined japa/tapas during Kāśī-vāsa or yātrā; cultivate śravaṇa (listening to kathā/śāstra) as a meritorious act.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Kashi/Avimukta-Kshetra glorification; pilgrimage and dāna-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rudra teaching the glory of Avimukta: Kāśī as Gaurī’s kṣetra, pilgrims offering food-gifts, ascetics doing japa and tapas, and the idea of ‘akṣaya’ merit radiating from the sacred city.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style: Śiva (Rudra) seated in teaching posture with Pārvatī beside, stylized Vārāṇasī ghāṭas in the background, devotees performing annadāna with banana-leaf meals, warm earthy palette, bold outlines, sacred aura around Avimukta.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central Rudra with ornate crown and prabhāmaṇḍala, gold-leaf highlights on temple spires and ghāṭa lamps, devotees offering bowls of rice (annadāna), inscription-like labels ‘Avimukta’ and ‘Vārāṇasī’, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional composition showing three acts—japa with mālā, tapas with seated ascetic, dāna with food distribution—set against a simplified map-like Kāśī skyline; delicate linework, soft shading, minimal gold.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed riverside cityscape of Vārāṇasī with ghāṭas, Brahmins distributing food, yogis chanting, Śiva as a sage-like teacher in a pavilion; fine architectural detail, pastel washes, calligraphic captioning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi resolved: अन्नदानाद्दिवम् → अन्नदानात् + दिवम्; वाराणसीमिति → वाराणसीम् + इति; वसतां शृणुतां → वस्(शतृ) षष्ठी बहुवचन + श्रु लोट्; दत्तममविमुक्ते → दत्तम् + अम् + अविमुक्ते (अम् appears as a textual/metrical filler or variant). Variant markers (ख,ग,घ,ङ,छ,ज) omitted from pada list.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Tīrtha-māhātmya sections on Kāśī/Avimukta and dāna-vidhi (adjacent verses in adhyāya 112)
FAQs
It teaches tīrtha-māhātmya praxis: residence (vāsa), hearing (śravaṇa), mantra-recitation (japa), austerity (tapas), and especially food-charity (annadāna) performed in Avimukta (Kāśī) yield imperishable (akṣaya) merit.
Alongside ritual manuals and other sciences, the Agni Purana catalogs sacred geographies (tīrthas) and their karmic outcomes—here mapping Kāśī/Avimukta’s names and specifying the spiritual ‘returns’ of core practices like dāna, japa, and śravaṇa.
It asserts akṣaya-phala: acts of devotion and charity done in Avimukta do not perish in their merit, with annadāna singled out as a direct cause of attaining heaven.