Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 2
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
वैशाख्याम्पौर्णमास्याञ्च स्वर्गार्थी जलधेनुमत् पाद्मं द्वादशसाहस्रं द्यैष्ठे दद्याच्च धेनुमत्
vaiśākhyāmpaurṇamāsyāñca svargārthī jaladhenumat pādmaṃ dvādaśasāhasraṃ dyaiṣṭhe dadyācca dhenumat
वैशाख पौर्णिमेला स्वर्गाची इच्छा असणाऱ्याने ‘जलधेनु’ दान द्यावे. ज्येष्ठ महिन्यात बारा हजार (परिमाण) ‘पद्मदान’ आणि एक गायही दान द्यावी.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Calendar-based dāna prescriptions: perform specific gifts on Vaiśākha Pūrṇimā and in Jyeṣṭha to gain svarga-phala and auspicious merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Māsa–tithi-dāna: Vaiśākha Pūrṇimā jala-dhenu; Jyeṣṭha padma-dāna (12,000) with go-dāna","lookup_keywords":["Vaiśākha Pūrṇimā","jala-dhenu","Jyeṣṭha","padma-dāna","go-dāna"],"quick_summary":"Specifies timed gifts: jala-dhenu on Vaiśākha full moon for svarga, and a 12,000-unit padma-gift plus cow-gift in Jyeṣṭha—linking dāna to ritual calendar."}
Concept: Kāla (auspicious time) amplifies dāna-phala; aligning generosity with vrata-calendar integrates personal intention (svargārtha) with dharmic order.
Application: Plan charitable acts on key lunar dates; interpret ‘jala-dhenu’ as structured water-donation (vessels, wells, water-service) and ‘padma-dāna’ as large-scale offering per local tradition.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Charity, Vrata, and Merit-producing Gifts)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Full-moon ritual in Vaiśākha with a symbolic ‘water-cow’ donation (water pots arranged as a cow form) and, in Jyeṣṭha, a grand lotus-themed donation with heaps counted to 12,000 and a cow being gifted.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, bright full moon over temple tank, devotees offering water pots arranged like a cow, later scene with lotus motifs and cow-gift, flat decorative style and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gilded full-moon halo, ornate water pots with gold accents forming jala-dhenu, lotus offerings with rich gold work, cow adorned with garlands, symmetrical devotional composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional clarity: labeled scenes ‘Vaiśākha Pūrṇimā—jala-dhenu’ and ‘Jyeṣṭha—padma 12,000 + go-dāna’, soft colors, precise objects and counts.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, moonlit courtyard charity, attendants carrying water vessels, later daytime scene with lotus offerings and decorated cow, fine detailing of textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vaiśākhyāmpaurṇamāsyāñca = vaiśākhyām paurṇamāsyām ca; dadyācca = dadyāt ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana dāna-kalpa passages in 271+ (month-wise gifts)
FAQs
It prescribes month-specific charity: on Vaiśākha Paurṇimā the ‘jala-dhenu’ (water-cow) gift is recommended, and in Jyeṣṭha a Padma-type donation quantified as ‘twelve thousand’, along with cow-gift (go-dāna).
It catalogues practical Dharma instructions—calendar-based ritual charity (māsa-dāna), named donation-types (jala-dhenu, padma-dāna), and quantified giving—showing the text’s compendium style across ritual, ethics, and karmic outcomes.
The verse frames these donations as svarga-phala (heaven-leading merit): properly timed and properly named dānas are presented as high-yield acts of puṇya for uplifting post-mortem destiny.