Agni Purana — Avatara-lila, Shloka 20
Kūrma-avatāra-varṇana (The Description of the Tortoise Incarnation) — Samudra Manthana and the Reordering of Cosmic Prosperity
स्खलितं तस्य वीर्यं कौ यत्र यत्र हरस्य हि तत्र तत्राभवत् क्षेत्रं लिङ्गानां कनकस्य च
skhalitaṃ tasya vīryaṃ kau yatra yatra harasya hi tatra tatrābhavat kṣetraṃ liṅgānāṃ kanakasya ca
ဟရ (ရှီဝ) ၏ ဗီရျ (အင်အားပုရుష) ကျသွားသော နေရာတိုင်း၌ ထိုနေရာတိုင်းသည် လင်္ဂများ၏ သန့်ရှင်းသော က္ෂೇತ್ರ ဖြစ်လာခဲ့ပြီး ရွှေ၏ က္ෂેત્રလည်း ဖြစ်ပေါ်လာ하였다။
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Shilpa","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Explains the sacralization of geography: sites associated with Śiva’s vīrya become liṅga-kṣetras; supports pilgrimage mapping, temple founding legends, and donation to such kṣetras.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Liṅga-Kṣetra Utpatti from Hara’s Vīrya (and Kanaka)","lookup_keywords":["Hara","virya","kshetra","linga","kanaka"],"quick_summary":"Wherever Śiva’s vīrya is said to have fallen, those places become sacred kṣetras marked by liṅgas and associated prosperity (gold), grounding tīrtha-māhātmya and temple cult."}
Concept: Kṣetra is made potent by divine contact (saṃbandha); worship and dāna at such places are specially efficacious.
Application: Undertake tīrtha-yātrā, liṅga-pūjā, and support temple maintenance/annadāna at recognized kṣetras.
Khanda Section: Shaiva-Kshetra-Mahatmya (Lingodbhava & sacred linga-sites)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Multiple sacred spots across a landscape glow as liṅgas arise where Śiva’s vīrya fell; veins of gold shimmer in the earth, marking sanctified kṣetras.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, panoramic sacred landscape with repeated liṅga shrines, Śiva’s presence implied as cosmic energy, golden earth highlights, temple lamps and devotees","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central grand liṅga with surrounding smaller liṅgas, abundant gold leaf to signify ‘kanaka’, devotees offering bilva leaves, ornate arch framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, map-like instructional composition: labeled kṣetras with small liṅga icons, gentle colors, precise detailing of shrines and pathways","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, wide landscape with multiple shrine pavilions, shimmering gold accents in terrain, pilgrims traveling between sites, fine architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Shivaranjani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्र तत्राभवत् = तत्र तत्र अभवत्. ‘कौ’ interpreted as interrogative indeclinable ‘where?’ (textual variant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: liṅga-pūjā/vrata materials; Agni Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya style passages
FAQs
It identifies the puranic basis for recognizing certain locations as linga-kṣetras (Śiva sacred sites): places mythically linked to Śiva’s manifested potency are treated as ritually potent for liṅga worship and pilgrimage.
It contributes to the text’s catalog-like sacred geography (tīrtha/kshetra-mahātmya), integrating mythic etiology with practical religious culture—how pilgrimage sites and worship centers are explained and classified.
By grounding certain places as liṅga-kṣetras, the verse implies heightened merit (puṇya) for worship, vows, and pilgrimage performed there, since the site is seen as charged with Śiva’s creative power.