Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 11
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
लिखित्वा पुस्तकं दद्यान्मार्गशीर्ष्यां स सर्वदः द्वादशैव सहस्राणि सर्वविद्यावबोधनं
likhitvā pustakaṃ dadyānmārgaśīrṣyāṃ sa sarvadaḥ dvādaśaiva sahasrāṇi sarvavidyāvabodhanaṃ
ഗ്രന്ഥം എഴുതി മാർഗശീർഷ മാസത്തിൽ ദാനം ചെയ്യണം; അത്തരം ദാതാവ് എല്ലായ്പ്പോഴും വിദ്യാദാതാവാകുന്നു. (ഫലം) പന്ത്രണ്ടായിരം പുണ്യം; അത് സർവ്വവിദ്യകളുടെ ബോധം ഉണർത്തുന്നു.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Promotes pustaka-dāna (donation of a copied book) timed to Mārgaśīrṣa as a meritorious act supporting education, preservation of texts, and dissemination of vidyā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pustaka-dāna in Mārgaśīrṣa and its merit (12,000)","lookup_keywords":["pustaka-dāna","Mārgaśīrṣa","likhitvā","vidyā-dāna","puṇya-phala"],"quick_summary":"Copy a book and donate it in Mārgaśīrṣa; the act is praised as continual bestowal of knowledge, with a stated merit measure of ‘twelve thousand’ linked to awakening learning across disciplines."}
Concept: Vidyā-dāna/pustaka-dāna as enduring charity: giving knowledge multiplies across time and recipients.
Application: Support schools, temples, and libraries by donating accurate copies; sponsor copying projects; align giving with calendrical auspiciousness to strengthen communal learning.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Pustaka-dāna / Vidyā-dāna)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A scribe finishes copying a manuscript; in Mārgaśīrṣa setting, the donor offers the bound palm-leaf/book to a learned recipient (guru, temple, or library), with students gathered.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: donor presenting a palm-leaf manuscript bundle to a guru; students seated with stylus and leaves; auspicious month symbols (full moon, lamps) in stylized temple courtyard.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central act of manuscript donation with gold-leaf borders; guru on a pedestal receiving the book; rich ornaments, lamps, and floral arches emphasizing merit.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction of manuscript copying—scribe with stylus, ink, palm leaves; inset of donation ceremony; clear, refined linework and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate library scene with shelves of manuscripts; donor hands over a codex; students reading; fine detailing of paper, bindings, and calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्यान्मार्गशीर्ष्यां = दद्यात् + मार्गशीर्ष्याम्; द्वादशैव = द्वादश + एव; सर्वविद्यावबोधनं = सर्व-विद्या-अवबोधनम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-vidhi lists (anna-dāna, go-dāna, vidyā-dāna); Agni Purana: māsa-vrata/dāna timing rules
FAQs
It prescribes pustaka-dāna—copying a manuscript and donating it in Mārgaśīrṣa—framing it as vidyā-dāna that spreads learning and awakens understanding across disciplines.
By valuing the copying and gifting of books, it supports preservation and circulation of multi-disciplinary knowledge—exactly the mechanism by which an encyclopedic Purāṇa sustains and propagates ritual, ethical, and technical traditions.
The act is credited with great puṇya (stated as “twelve thousand”) and portrays the giver as a continual benefactor, gaining merit through enabling others’ learning and clarity of understanding.