Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 22
Āgneya-Purāṇa-māhātmya
The Greatness and Self-Testimony of the Agni Purāṇa
न गर्भहारिणीभीतिर्न च बालग्रहा गृहे यत्राग्नेयं पुराणं स्यान्न पिशाचादिकं भयं
na garbhahāriṇībhītirna ca bālagrahā gṛhe yatrāgneyaṃ purāṇaṃ syānna piśācādikaṃ bhayaṃ
ആഗ്നേയ പുരാണം ഉള്ള വീട്ടിൽ ഗർഭഹാരിണിയുടെ ഭയം ഇല്ല; ബാലഗ്രഹങ്ങളുടെ ഉപദ്രവം ഇല്ല; പിശാചാദികളുടെ ഭയവും ഉണ്ടാകുകയില്ല.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Protective household practice against graha-doṣa and bhūta-bādha: keeping/reciting the Purāṇa as rakṣā, especially for pregnancy and child-protection contexts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Agneya Purāṇa-sannidhau bhaya-nivṛtti (garbhahāriṇī, bāla-graha, piśāca)","lookup_keywords":["garbhahāriṇī","bāla-graha","piśāca","bhūta-bādha","rakṣā"],"quick_summary":"The verse enumerates specific feared afflictions—pregnancy-harming forces, child-seizing grahas, and piśācas—and states their non-presence where the Agni Purāṇa is kept."}
Concept: Apotropaic dharma: sacred narrative/śāstra functions as protective field (rakṣā-kavaca) against seen/unseen harms.
Application: For households with pregnancy/infants: schedule gentle daily reading, keep the text in the sleeping/pujā area respectfully, and cultivate sattva (cleanliness, non-violence, truthful speech) as the supportive ‘rakṣā’ environment.
Khanda Section: Phala-श्रुति (Recitation Benefits) / Raksha-vidhi (Protective Efficacy of Purana-श्रवण)
Primary Rasa: abhaya
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A protected home with a pregnant woman and a cradle; shadowy graha/piśāca figures kept outside by the radiance of the Agni Purāṇa manuscript within.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, mother and infant in stylized interior, manuscript glowing on a stand, dark graha silhouettes at the threshold repelled, traditional lamp and floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, mother-and-child scene with gold aura emanating from the scripture, protective motifs (lotus, conch-like auspiciousness), subdued demon-like forms outside the frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic composition: scripture placement, mother resting, cradle nearby, faint graha figures dissolving, soft colors and precise outlines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, domestic zenana-like room with cradle, attendants, a bookstand with Sanskrit manuscript, tiny grotesque spirits in margins fleeing, intricate textiles and architecture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भीतिः + न → भीतिर्न; यत्र + आग्नेयम् → यत्राग्नेयम्; स्यात् + न → स्यान्न
Related Themes: Agni Purana rakṣā-vidhi and bhūta-pratiṣedha materials (general); Agni Purana 382.21-24 (household protection and upadrava-nāśa)
FAQs
It teaches rakṣā-vidyā in the Purāṇic sense: keeping, reading, or hearing the Agni Purāṇa in the home is presented as an apotropaic practice that wards off specific categories of malignant beings (garbhahāriṇī, bāla-grahas, piśācas).
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves cultural-ritual conceptions of health and misfortune (e.g., infant/gestational afflictions attributed to grahas). This verse shows the text functioning as a practical household manual—linking scripture, domestic well-being, and protective rites.
The verse frames Purāṇa-sannidhi and Purāṇa-pāṭha as purifying merit (puṇya) that creates a protective sacred environment (maṅgala-kṣetra) in the home, thereby negating fear and hostile influences.