Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 23
Utpāta-śānti
Pacification of Portents
स्त्रीणां प्रसववैकृत्ये स्त्रीविप्रादिं प्रपूजयेत् वडवा हस्तिनी गौर्वा यदि युग्मं प्रसूयते
strīṇāṃ prasavavaikṛtye strīviprādiṃ prapūjayet vaḍavā hastinī gaurvā yadi yugmaṃ prasūyate
സ്ത്രീയുടെ പ്രസവത്തിൽ വൈകൃതം ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ സ്ത്രീബ്രാഹ്മണിയെയും മറ്റുള്ളവരെയും വിധിപൂർവം പൂജിച്ച് സത്കരിക്കണം; അതുപോലെ കുതിരിമാതാവ്, ആനിമാതാവ്, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പശു ഇരട്ടയെ പ്രസവിച്ചാലും അതേ ശാന്തി-സത്കാരം ചെയ്യണം।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Prescribes śānti response to abnormal births: honor/gift to a female brāhmaṇa (and appropriate persons) as expiation/appeasement; extends to twin-births in certain animals as ominous events needing propitiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prasava-vaikṛtya-śānti: Strī-brāhmaṇa-pūjā and dāna","lookup_keywords":["prasava-vaikṛtya","strī-brāhmaṇa-pūjā","dāna","yugma-prasava","śakuna-śānti"],"quick_summary":"For abnormal delivery, the text advises pūjā and honoring (often via gifts) of a female brāhmaṇa and others as a śānti act. Twin-births in mare/elephant/cow are treated similarly as omen-events requiring propitiation."}
Concept: Dāna and satkāra (honoring the worthy) function as śānti—social-ritual repair in response to ominous irregularities.
Application: Perform prescribed honoring/gifts to qualified recipients and conduct protective rites to reduce perceived inauspiciousness affecting household/realm.
Khanda Section: Shanti-prayoga & Nimitta-shastra (Auspicious/inauspicious omens and expiatory rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household performs śānti after an abnormal birth: a respected female brāhmaṇa is honored with garments and gifts; in parallel, a pastoral scene shows a cow (and other animals symbolically) with twin calves, with priests conducting appeasement rites.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-register composition: upper domestic honoring of a learned brāhmaṇī with offerings, lower pastoral twin-birth scene with cow and calves, priests with lamps and water-pot, strong reds/ochres, ritual purity motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central brāhmaṇī seated receiving dāna, gold-embossed ornaments on vessels and textiles, side vignette of cow with twin calves, auspicious temple-lamp glow, rich decorative borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional depiction of satkāra steps (pādya, arghya, vastra, dakṣiṇā), calm domestic interior; separate small panel for animal twin-birth omen and śānti at cowshed.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard with gift-giving ceremony to a dignified woman scholar, attendants carrying cloth and coins; adjacent pastoral vignette with cow and twin calves, fine naturalistic rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्त्रीविप्रादिं = स्त्री + विप्र + आदिम्; गौः + वा → गौर्वा (विसर्ग-सन्धि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Nimitta/śānti prescriptions in ch. 262 surrounding verses on omens and expiations
FAQs
It prescribes a śānti/prāyaścitta response to inauspicious or anomalous birth-signs: respectfully honoring and gifting to a qualified female brāhmaṇa (and similar recipients) when abnormal delivery occurs or when certain animals deliver twins.
Beyond theology, it records applied household and omen-management praxis (nimitta-śāstra and śānti-kalpa): how to neutralize feared portents through socially codified ritual actions such as pūjā and dāna.
Honoring worthy recipients functions as a purificatory and appeasing act (śānti), intended to reduce the negative karmic/inauspicious effects associated with abnormal births and to restore auspicious order in the household.