Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 7
Chapter 40 — भूपरिग्रहो नाम
Bhū-parigraha) / अर्घ्यदानविधानम् (Arghya-dāna-vidhāna
एकस्थमूर्ध्वसंस्थञ्च मृगं नीलपटैस् तथा पितॄन् कृशरयार्धस्थं दन्तकाष्ठैः पदस्थितं
ekasthamūrdhvasaṃsthañca mṛgaṃ nīlapaṭais tathā pitṝn kṛśarayārdhasthaṃ dantakāṣṭhaiḥ padasthitaṃ
तो ध्यान करावा—एकाच स्थानी स्थिर, मस्तक उंचावलेला मृग निळ्या वस्त्रांनी आच्छादित आहे; आणि पितर कृशरा (तांदूळ-डाळ) पात्रावर अर्धासीन असून दंतकाष्ठांवर पादस्थित आहेत।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Ritual visualization (dhyāna) for preta–pitṛ offerings: constructing mental/ritual forms and their supports (kṛśara, dantakāṣṭha) to correctly address Pitṛs.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pretakalpa dhyāna: nīlapaṭa-mṛga and Pitṛs on kṛśara with dantakāṣṭha support","lookup_keywords":["pretakalpa","pitṛ-dhyāna","kṛśara","dantakāṣṭha","nīlapaṭa"],"quick_summary":"Visualize a fixed, head-raised deer draped in blue cloth, and Pitṛs half-seated on a kṛśara dish, standing upon tooth-sticks—an imagistic protocol for funerary offering focus."}
Concept: Dhyāna as ritual technology: precise mental forms stabilize intention and direct offerings to subtle recipients (Pitṛs).
Application: Use prescribed imagery during śrāddha/preta rites to maintain concentration and correctness of recipient-identification.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Pretakalpa (Funerary rites, preta–pitṛ offerings, ritual visualizations)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual visualization tableau: a deer with raised head, draped in blue cloth, motionless; nearby, ancestral Pitṛs appear half-seated on a kṛśara offering dish, their feet supported by upright tooth-sticks arranged like small pedestals.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized blue-draped deer in profile, Pitṛs with serene faces and sacred thread, seated on a large kṛśara platter, tooth-sticks as small vertical supports, muted temple palette, iconic symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, Pitṛs rendered as divine ancestors with gold halos, ornate kṛśara dish with gold embossing, blue cloth on deer highlighted with gold, ritual vessels and lamps, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic depiction labeling ‘mṛga’, ‘nīlapaṭa’, ‘kṛśara’, ‘dantakāṣṭha’, clean composition, soft pastel shading, emphasis on posture (ardha-stha).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, delicate rendering of blue textile on deer, Pitṛs in pale garments seated on a platter, tooth-sticks as fine vertical elements, garden-like ritual setting, intricate borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एकस्थम् + ऊर्ध्वसंस्थम् + च → एकस्थमूर्ध्वसंस्थञ्च; कृशरया + अर्धस्थम् → कृशरयार्धस्थम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana ch. 40 pretakalpa visualization sequence; Agni Purana puja-vidhi sections on dhyāna and upacāra
FAQs
It gives a specific dhyāna/ritual-visualization: the deer-form with blue cloth and the Pitṛs arranged with kṛśara and dantakāṣṭha as part of pitṛ-tarpaṇa/śrāddha-associated procedure.
Beyond theology, it preserves precise operational details of ancestral rites—food items, ritual objects, and prescribed mental images—showing the text’s catalog-like coverage of practical dharma and liturgy.
Correctly performing and contemplating the prescribed form supports pitṛ-prīti (satisfaction of ancestors), aiding purification and continuity of familial dharma, and is traditionally held to yield merit through proper śrāddha observance.