Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 50
Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti
देयश् च प्रतिमोक्षश् च दानं पञ्चविधं स्मृतं स्नेहरागापनयनसंहर्षोत्पादनं तथा
deyaś ca pratimokṣaś ca dānaṃ pañcavidhaṃ smṛtaṃ sneharāgāpanayanasaṃharṣotpādanaṃ tathā
Dāna (pemberian suci) diingati sebagai lima macam: (1) deya—pemberian yang terus dan jelas, (2) pratimokṣa—pemberian untuk pelepasan/penebusan, (3) dāna—amal pemberian, (4) penyingkiran kasih-lekat dan keterikatan (sneha-rāga-apanayana), dan (5) pembangkitan kegembiraan serta semangat (saṃharṣa-utpādana).
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s dominant framing)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Classify motives and functions of giving—simple charity, redemption/release, detachment from attachment, and generating joy/enthusiasm—useful for ethical self-audit and policy of patronage.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pañcavidha Dāna (Fivefold Gift-Giving)","lookup_keywords":["pañcavidha-dāna","deya","pratimokṣa","sneha-rāga-apanayana","saṃharṣa-utpādana"],"quick_summary":"Dāna is categorized by purpose: straightforward giving, giving for release/redemption, giving to reduce attachment, and giving to create joy/enthusiasm (and related fifth category as remembered in the tradition). The taxonomy helps align charity with dharmic intention."}
Concept: Tyāga (letting-go) is refined by intention: some gifts purify attachment (rāga), some repair harm (pratimokṣa), some cultivate joy and social concord.
Application: Before donating, identify your motive—relief, restitution, detachment, or encouragement—then choose an appropriate form and recipient to maximize dharmic outcome.
Khanda Section: Dana-dharma (Charity and gifting; classifications of dāna)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic tableau showing different kinds of giving: simple alms, restitution for release, a donor cutting attachment, and a joyful gift that uplifts a community.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: four vignettes in one frame—alms to needy, redemption gift at a shrine, donor turning away from hoarded wealth, festive distribution—bold outlines, traditional palette, temple border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central donor figure with four surrounding medallions depicting types of dāna, heavy gold work on ornaments and offering vessels, auspicious lamps and lotuses.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional chart-like painting with labeled scenes for deya, pratimokṣa, rāga-apanayana, saṃharṣa-utpādana, clean composition and readable iconography.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: narrative sequence across a single page with architectural dividers, each panel showing a distinct gifting motive, fine object detail (coins, cloth, deeds), elegant border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देयश् = देयः; प्रतिमोक्षश् = प्रतिमोक्षः; पञ्चविधं = पञ्चविधम्; स्नेहरागापनयनसंहर्षोत्पादनं resolved as a multi-member समाहार-द्वन्द्व compound.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 240 (dāna taxonomy and rāja-dharma context)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-technical taxonomy of dāna—identifying distinct functional types of giving, including redemption/release-gifts (pratimokṣa) and gifts aimed at reducing attachment or generating joyful uplift.
By treating charity as a structured discipline with named subtypes and psychological/ethical aims, it reads like a dharma manual—one of the Agni Purana’s hallmark encyclopedic domains alongside ritual, polity, and conduct.
It frames giving not only as transfer of wealth but as moral-spiritual practice: resolving obligations (pratimokṣa), weakening attachment (sneha-rāga-apanayana), and cultivating wholesome joy (saṃharṣa-utpādana), thereby accruing merit and purification.