Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 2
Chapter 246 — वास्तुलक्षणम्
Characteristics of Building-sites / Vāstu
घृतरक्तान्नमद्यानां गन्धाढ्या वसतश् च भूः मधुरा च कषाया च अम्लाद्युपरसा क्रमात्
ghṛtaraktānnamadyānāṃ gandhāḍhyā vasataś ca bhūḥ madhurā ca kaṣāyā ca amlādyuparasā kramāt
Ghee (ghṛta), darah, makanan yang dimasak, dan minuman memabukkan kaya dengan bau harum; dan bumi menurut tabiatnya juga mengandung wangi. Adapun rasa sekunder (uparasa) berjalan menurut tertib bermula dengan masam; dan antara rasa utama turut ada manis serta kelat (astringen).
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Understanding dravya-guṇa classification: associating substances with gandha (smell) and organizing uparasa (secondary tastes) for dietetics and pharmacology.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Gandha-yukta dravyas and uparasa-krama","lookup_keywords":["dravya-guṇa","gandha","uparasa","rasa","ghṛta-rakta-madya"],"quick_summary":"Lists fragrance-rich substances (ghee, blood, cooked food, alcohol) and notes earth as inherently smell-bearing; then states an ordered progression of secondary tastes beginning with sour, alongside mention of sweet and astringent among tastes."}
Concept: Knowledge of guṇas through the senses (rasa-gandha) as a basis for applied wellbeing.
Application: Apply sensory diagnostics (taste/smell) to choose compatible foods, anupānas, and drug vehicles.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Dravya-guṇa: Rasādaya—taste and secondary tastes)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teaching scene illustrating sensory qualities: vessels of ghee, blood, cooked food, and wine emitting visible fragrance lines; a mound of earth indicating inherent smell; a chart of tastes/secondary tastes in order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sage-physician instructs students; stylized pots labeled by form (ghṛta, madya) with aromatic swirls; earth mound; rasa-wheel motif in traditional palette and bold contours.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Ayurvedic teacher with gold halo; ornate bowls of ghṛta and food, a wine cup, and a symbolic earth element; gold leaf highlights on vessels; decorative rasa-chart border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean didactic composition—tabletop with four substances and a taste-order diagram; fine lines, soft colors, emphasis on clarity and classification.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: apothecary/learned gathering; detailed glass and metal vessels, steam/aroma curls; naturalistic earth texture; marginal notes implied as a taste sequence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ghṛtaraktānnamadyānāṃ → ghṛta-rakta-anna-madyānām; gandhāḍhyā → gandha-āḍhyā; amlādyuparasā → amla-ādi-uparasā.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa: Ayurveda sections on rasa, guṇa, vīrya, vipāka and dravya classification (dravya-guṇa context)
FAQs
Ayurvedic dravya-guṇa knowledge: it classifies substances by sensory quality (gandha/fragrance) and outlines the ordered scheme of tastes and secondary tastes (rasa and uparasa) used for identifying and applying drugs/diet.
It shows the Purana functioning as a compendium of practical sciences by embedding Ayurvedic pharmacological taxonomy—taste, smell, and sub-tastes—within a Purāṇic framework, alongside its better-known ritual and theological material.
By promoting right discernment of diet and medicinal substances through rasa-guṇa knowledge, it supports bodily purity and balanced living (sattva and health), which traditional dharma texts treat as foundational for sustained ritual practice and meritorious conduct.