Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 42
Chapter 64 — कूपादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
The Account of the Consecration of Wells and Other Water-Works
अनिवारितमन्नाद्यं सर्वजन्यञ्च कारयेत् अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत्
anivāritamannādyaṃ sarvajanyañca kārayet aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret
ആർക്കും തടയപ്പെടാത്തതും സർവ്വജനത്തിനുമുള്ളതുമായ അന്നാദി വിഭവങ്ങളുടെ വിതരണം ഒരുക്കണം. ഇതിനെ നിത്യവ്രതമായി ആചരിക്കുന്നവന് ആയിരം ആയിരം അശ്വമേധയാഗങ്ങൾക്കു തുല്യമായ പുണ്യം ലഭിക്കും.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Organize an open, non-discriminatory annādya distribution (food and essentials) as a continuing public charity; treat it as a vow-like practice with high ritual merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Unrestricted public food-provision (anivārita annādya) and its Aśvamedha-equivalent merit","lookup_keywords":["annadana","anivarita","sarvajanya","punya-phala","ashvamedha-tulya"],"quick_summary":"Providing food and provisions without refusal to all people is praised as yielding merit comparable to vast Aśvamedha performance, elevating social welfare to sacrificial stature."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti (hyperbolic praise)
Concept: Ethical redistribution (feeding all) is treated as a superior, accessible yajña—transforming social care into sacred duty.
Application: Create enduring systems: community kitchens, grain banks, and open meal services with no gatekeeping.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Charity and Merit of Gifts)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A public feeding hall where food and provisions are distributed freely to all—pilgrims, poor, travelers—symbolically equated with grand sacrifice through a background motif of a sacrificial altar.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, long row of seated diners on banana leaves, servers with pots and ladles, open gates signifying ‘anivārita’, subtle yajña-altar motif behind, warm ochres and reds, compassionate mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central donor figure with gold embellishments, abundant vessels of rice and ghee, rows of recipients, ornate arch framing like a temple mandapa, symbolic Aśvamedha horse emblem in corner.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, organized charity kitchen scene with clear depiction of storage jars, ladles, serving order, emphasis on cleanliness and inclusivity, soft palette and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling langar-like distribution in a courtyard, detailed textiles and utensils, diverse recipients, a small vignette of a sacrificial fire altar to indicate Aśvamedha comparison."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वजन्यञ्च→सर्वजन्यम् + च; अश्वमेधसहस्राणां→अश्वमेध-सहस्राणाम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dana-mahatmya on annadana and sarva-bhuta-hita; Agni Purana: yajna-phala comparisons used to extol dana
FAQs
It prescribes annadāna as a structured practice: establishing an unrestricted, public provision of food and necessities (open to all), treated as a high-merit dharmic observance.
Alongside ritual topics like major Vedic sacrifices, it also codifies practical social-dharma—public feeding and charitable provisioning—showing how the text integrates ritual theory with ethical governance of daily life.
It elevates universal, non-discriminatory feeding to a merit on par with immense sacrificial performance, teaching that compassionate public giving can equal the highest ritual fruits.