Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 39
Śrāddha-kalpa-kathana
Exposition of the Śrāddha Procedure
घनं विद्यां भिषकसिद्धिं रूप्यं गाश्चाप्यजाविकं अश्वानायुश् च विधिवत् यः श्राद्धं सम्प्रयच्छति
ghanaṃ vidyāṃ bhiṣakasiddhiṃ rūpyaṃ gāścāpyajāvikaṃ aśvānāyuś ca vidhivat yaḥ śrāddhaṃ samprayacchati
Sesiapa yang menurut tatacara yang sah melaksanakan Śrāddha (persembahan kepada leluhur), maka dengan itu ia memperoleh kekayaan yang kukuh, ilmu pengetahuan, kejayaan dalam ilmu perubatan, perak, lembu, juga kambing dan biri-biri, kuda, serta umur panjang.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guides what kinds of dāna (gifts) and ritual performance in śrāddha are believed to yield specific worldly and life-enhancing results, motivating correct observance and charitable giving.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Śrāddha-phala (Fruits of śrāddha and dāna)","lookup_keywords":["śrāddha-phala","dāna","pitṛ","āyuḥ","vidyā"],"quick_summary":"Properly performed śrāddha is taught to generate concrete benefits—wealth, learning, medical success, livestock, horses, and longevity—linking ritual charity with social prosperity."}
Concept: Pitṛ-yajña/śrāddha as a dharmic act whose merit ripens into both material and life-supporting outcomes.
Application: Encourages householders to maintain ancestral rites and structured charity as part of gṛhastha-dharma.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha-vidhi (Ancestral rites and ritual gifting)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder performs śrāddha with brāhmaṇas seated, offering piṇḍa and water, while gifts—silver, cows, goats, sheep, horses—are arranged as dāna; ancestors are implied as receiving satisfaction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, śrāddha scene with gṛhastha in white dhoti offering piṇḍa and tila-water to brāhmaṇas, symbolic pitṛs in subtle haloed forms above, cows and silver vessels depicted, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central gṛhastha performing śrāddha before brāhmaṇas, ornate gold-leaf highlights on silver vessels and ritual plates, cows and horses at the sides, rich reds and greens, temple-like framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework and soft shading, instructional śrāddha setup: piṇḍa on leaf plates, kuśa grass, water pot, dāna items labeled visually (silver, cows, goats), calm domestic courtyard","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtyard scene with attendants bringing cows and horses as gifts, brāhmaṇas seated on carpets, the patron offering piṇḍa, fine architectural background, delicate flora borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गाश्चाप्यजाविकम् → गाः च अपि अजाविकम्; अश्वानायुश् च → अश्वान् आयुः च (visarga before ca); भिषकसिद्धिम् → भिषक्-सिद्धिम् (compound).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 163 (Śrāddha-kalpa context); Agni Purana 164 (transition to graha-śānti rites)
FAQs
It teaches the Śrāddha principle of vidhivat (rule-governed) performance and indicates the specific fruits (phala) promised—wealth, learning, medical success, livestock, horses, and longevity—when the rite is properly offered.
By cataloging concrete outcomes tied to a defined rite, it functions like a ritual manual (dharma-śāstra style) embedded within the Purāṇa—linking household economy (silver, cattle), professional success (medicine), and lifespan to liturgical correctness.
It frames Śrāddha as a merit-producing act whose karmic return supports both worldly welfare (artha, status, resources) and vital well-being (āyuḥ), emphasizing faith-based ancestral duty as a purifier and sustainer of lineage.