Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 22
Devapūjā, Vaiśvadeva Offering, and Bali (देवपूजावैश्वदेवबलिः)
बलिं वहिस् तथा दद्यात्सायं प्रातस्तु प्रत्यहं पिण्डनिर्वपणं कुर्यात् प्रातः सायन्न कारयेत्
baliṃ vahis tathā dadyātsāyaṃ prātastu pratyahaṃ piṇḍanirvapaṇaṃ kuryāt prātaḥ sāyanna kārayet
Hendaklah seseorang mempersembahkan bali dan juga menuangkan āhuti ke dalam api suci pada waktu petang dan pagi. Setiap hari hendaklah dilakukan upacara meletakkan piṇḍa (bebola makanan persembahan) sebagai amalan harian tersendiri, bukan sekadar pengganti dua kali sehari pada pagi dan petang.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana instructions to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Daily household ritual discipline: twice-daily bali and agnihotra-like oblations, plus a distinct daily piṇḍa-nirvapana as a separate nitya-karman rather than a mere morning/evening substitute.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nitya Bali–Havis and Daily Piṇḍa-nirvapana Rule","lookup_keywords":["bali","havis","pinda-nirvapana","pratah-sayam","nitya-karma"],"quick_summary":"Offer bali and fire-oblation both morning and evening; additionally perform piṇḍa-nirvapana every day as its own obligatory observance, not merely folded into the twice-daily routine."}
Concept: Nitya-karman must be performed with correct periodicity; distinct rites are not to be collapsed into convenience-based substitutions.
Application: Maintain a daily schedule separating morning/evening offerings from the daily piṇḍa rite; treat ritual time as a moral discipline (niyama).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Daily offerings, Bali and Pinda rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder at a domestic altar offers bali portions and pours havis into the fire at dawn and dusk; nearby, a separate arrangement for daily piṇḍa placement is prepared, emphasizing it as an independent rite.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: gṛhastha in white dhoti near a small homa-kuṇḍa, glowing agni, banana-leaf bali portions, kuśa and vessels arranged symmetrically; warm ochres and reds, temple-like domestic sanctum ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central agni with gold-leaf halo, householder offering havis with ladle, ornate vessels, stylized bali plates; rich reds/greens, embossed gold detailing on fire and utensils.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: instructional layout showing morning and evening panels, labeled bali and havis, plus a distinct daily piṇḍa-nirvapana setup; delicate lines, muted palette, clear ritual implements.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate courtyard ritual at sunrise/sunset, fine detailing of ladle, fire, offerings; attendants and household setting, naturalistic light gradients, precise textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dadyāt+sāyam → dadyātsāyam; prātaḥ+tu → prātastu; sāyam+na → sāyanna (anusvāra/assimilation in recitation).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 263 (Pūjā-vidhi and Śrāddha-vidhi sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes a daily regimen of offerings: bali (food portions offered ritually) and oblations into the sacred fire (vahni), to be done both morning and evening, along with the daily practice of piṇḍa-nirvapaṇa (setting out offering portions/food-balls).
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s practical, manual-like coverage of dharma and worship—giving operational details for everyday household/ritual conduct (pujā-vidhi), alongside its many other domains (statecraft, medicine, architecture, poetics).
Regular morning-evening offerings and the daily piṇḍa rite are presented as disciplines of purity and continuity of worship, sustaining ritual order (ṛta/dharma) and accruing merit through consistent, correctly timed observance.