Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 31
Ayuta–Lakṣa–Koṭi Fire-offerings (अयुतलक्षकोटिहोमाः) — Graha-yajña Vidhi
यथा भूमिप्रदानस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीं दानान्यन्यानि मे शान्तिर्भूमिदानाद्भवत्विह
yathā bhūmipradānasya kalāṃ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīṃ dānānyanyāni me śāntirbhūmidānādbhavatviha
ਜਿਵੇਂ ਭੂਮੀ-ਦਾਨ ਦੇ ਫਲ ਦਾ ਸੋਲਵਾਂ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਵੀ ਹੋਰ ਦਾਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲਦਾ, ਤਿਵੇਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਭੂਮੀ-ਦਾਨ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਾਂਤੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਹੋਵੇ।
Lord Agni (traditionally instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Cited to prioritize bhūmi-dāna (land donation) as the highest-yield gift; used in dāna-vidhi sermons and sankalpa to seek śānti and enduring merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Bhūmi-dāna supremacy: other gifts are not even one-sixteenth","lookup_keywords":["bhūmi-dāna","ṣoḍaśī-kalā","dāna-tāratamya","śānti-phala","land-grant"],"quick_summary":"Establishes a hierarchy of gifts where land donation surpasses others overwhelmingly; recommends bhūmi-dāna for maximal peace and merit."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa
Concept: Sustaining gifts (land) that support ongoing livelihood and dharmic institutions yield superior merit; śānti arises from long-term welfare creation.
Application: When capable, donate cultivable land or revenue-bearing plots to support learning, worship, and public good; document and transfer responsibly to avoid adharma.
Khanda Section: Dāna-Dharma (Charity and Religious Gifts)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal land donation: donor and recipient with a boundary map/field scene; the verse emphasizes that other gifts are only a fraction compared to bhūmi-dāna.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized green fields and boundary markers, donor offering a palm-leaf deed to a sage/priest, temple lamp nearby, calm earth tones, emphasis on stability and śānti","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, ceremonial land-grant scene with gold-highlighted deed and auspicious symbols, donor in regal attire, recipient sage with halo-like aura, rich colors and ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic depiction: field plot, boundary stones, written grant, witnesses; fine linework and soft palette suited to instructional dharma theme","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed agrarian landscape with irrigation lines, donor presenting farman-like document, attendants and scribes, delicate architecture and naturalistic rendering"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic-serene","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+अर्हन्ति→नार्हन्ति; दानानि+अन्यानि→दानान्यन्यानि; शान्तिः+भूमिदानात्→शान्तिर्भूमिदानात्; भूमिदानात्+भवतु→भूमिदानाद्भवतु; भवतु+इह→भवत्(उ)इह (written bhavatviha).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-dharma gradations of gifts; rāja-dharma/arthic passages where land and revenue are foundational
FAQs
It teaches the dāna-dharma hierarchy: bhūmi-dāna (donating land) is declared superior, with other gifts not reaching even one-sixteenth of its merit; it is also framed as a śānti-prayoga (an act aimed at peace/appeasement).
By codifying comparative results of different charities, it functions like a dharma compendium—cataloging practical religious duties (dāna, merit-calculus, and śānti aims) alongside the Purana’s many other domains.
It asserts that donating land yields exceptionally high puṇya and is a direct means to attain śānti—inner calm and religious appeasement—through a single, highly meritorious act.