Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 5
Vināyaka-snāna (The Vinayaka Bath) — Obstacle-Removal and Consecratory Bathing Rite
आचार्यत्वं श्रोत्रियश् च न शिष्यो ऽध्ययनं लभेत् धनी न लाभमाप्नोति न कृषिञ्च कृषीबलः
ācāryatvaṃ śrotriyaś ca na śiṣyo 'dhyayanaṃ labhet dhanī na lābhamāpnoti na kṛṣiñca kṛṣībalaḥ
ଆଚାର୍ୟତ୍ୱ ଓ ଶ୍ରୋତ୍ରିୟତା ଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯୋଗ୍ୟ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ତାଙ୍କଠାରୁ ସତ୍ୟ ଅଧ୍ୟୟନ ପାଉନାହିଁ। ସେପରି ଧନୀ ଲୋକ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଭାବେ ଲାଭ ପାଉନାହିଁ, ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଶାରୀରିକ ବଳ ଥିଲେ କୃଷିରେ ସିଦ୍ଧି ମିଳେନାହିଁ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Assess competence by results and fitness (adhikara), not by titles, wealth, or mere strength; apply in education, hiring, and governance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Adhikara (fitness) as the cause of real attainment","lookup_keywords":["adhikara","acharya","shrotriya","phala","yogyata"],"quick_summary":"Mere status (teacher/scholar), wealth, or strength does not guarantee the intended fruit; true attainment depends on fitness, method, and proper conditions."}
Alamkara Type: Drishtanta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: Phala depends on yogyata (fitness) and right means, not on external markers.
Application: Choose teachers, students, and agents by demonstrated capability and proper preparation; cultivate eligibility through discipline and training.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Achara (Conduct, eligibility, and the fruits of competence)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Viveka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher with Vedic emblems sits before an unfit student; beside them, a rich merchant fails to profit and a strong man struggles in a field—three parallel vignettes showing that titles alone do not yield results.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, three-panel didactic scene: acharya and student in gurukula, merchant with coins and empty ledger, farmer with plough and oxen; earthy reds and ochres, bold outlines, traditional ornaments, calm instructive mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, triptych composition with gold leaf borders: guru and student, merchant with wealth, farmer in field; stylized figures, ornate frames, devotional-didactic tone, rich colors and embossed gold detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework and soft shading: sequential narrative panels illustrating competence vs mere status; clear gestures and labels, instructional clarity, muted palette with delicate ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtly classroom and market and agrarian vignette; precise textiles, architecture, and landscape; marginal notes feel; emphasis on realism and moral lesson."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रोत्रियश् च → श्रोत्रियः + च; शिष्यो ऽध्ययनम् → शिष्यः + अध्ययनम्; लाभमाप्नोति → लाभम् + आप्नोति; कृषिञ्च → कृषिम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Achara/Rajadharma sections on adhikara, samskara, and phala; Agni Purana didactic verses using drishtanta-nyaya
FAQs
It teaches a practical principle of vidyā-transmission: titles (ācārya) and even Vedic learning (śrotriya) are insufficient unless the teacher can effectively impart adhyayana; similarly, wealth and strength do not guarantee results without the proper skill and method.
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves applied social wisdom—education theory, competence, and cause-and-effect in worldly pursuits—showing its broad, encyclopedic coverage of dharma and practical life.
It implies that dharma values inner fitness and right capability over external markers; choosing (and being) a truly competent teacher supports right conduct and right knowledge, which are karmically fruitful, while mere status without substance is spiritually unproductive.