Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 17
Devapūjā, Vaiśvadeva Offering, and Bali (देवपूजावैश्वदेवबलिः)
धर्माधर्ममयौ द्वारे गृहमध्ये ध्रुवाय च मृत्यवे च वहिर्दद्याद्वरुणायोदकाशये
dharmādharmamayau dvāre gṛhamadhye dhruvāya ca mṛtyave ca vahirdadyādvaruṇāyodakāśaye
ਦਰਵਾਜ਼ੇ 'ਤੇ ਧਰਮ ਅਤੇ ਅਧਰਮ ਨੂੰ, ਘਰ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਧਰੁਵ ਨੂੰ, ਬਾਹਰ ਮੌਤ (ਮ੍ਰਿਤੂ) ਨੂੰ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਾਲੀ ਥਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਵਰੁਣ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਟਾ ਦੇਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (narrating prescriptive ritual instructions, as customary in the Agni Purana dialogue)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Gṛhya-bali/śrāddha-related appeasement offerings placed at specific household loci (doorway, center, outside, water-stand) to maintain ritual purity and avert inauspicious influences.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Gṛha-bali placements for Dharma–Adharma, Dhruva, Mṛtyu, Varuṇa","lookup_keywords":["gṛhya-bali","dvāra-dāna","dhruva-bali","mṛtyu-bali","varuṇa-udaka"],"quick_summary":"Offerings are spatially mapped within the house: doorway for Dharma/Adharma, center for Dhruva, outside for Mṛtyu, and near stored water for Varuṇa—creating a protective and orderly ritual perimeter."}
Concept: Spatial dharma: aligning household space with cosmic/ethical forces (Dharma–Adharma; Dhruva as stability; Mṛtyu as boundary; Varuṇa as waters/order).
Application: Use locus-specific offerings to cultivate steadiness (dhruvatā), ethical vigilance at thresholds, and boundary-protection against inauspiciousness.
Khanda Section: Gṛhya-Śrāddha & Dāna-vidhi (Domestic rites, offerings, and funerary/propitiatory prescriptions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Household (gṛha) microcosm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder places small bali portions at the doorway, the central floor-space, outside the house, and near a water-stand, invoking Dharma–Adharma, Dhruva, Mṛtyu, and Varuṇa respectively.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm mineral pigments, a traditional Brahmin house interior with marked threshold and central space; symbolic deities hovering: Dharma and Adharma at the doorway, Dhruva as a star/axis above the center, Mṛtyu outside the gate, Varuṇa near a water pot; ritual bali plates, serene protective mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf halos, stylized household mandala: doorway scene with Dharma–Adharma, central Dhruva emblem, outer Mṛtyu guardian, Varuṇa beside ornate water vessel; rich reds and greens, embossed ornaments, devotional domestic ritual.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, instructional layout showing four loci labeled (dvāra, madhya, bahis, udaka-sthāna) with the householder placing offerings; subtle deity icons as emblems; didactic composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard and interior architecture; a patron performs offerings at threshold, center, outside, and near water-stand; small cartouches naming Dharma/Adharma, Dhruva, Mṛtyu, Varuṇa; fine textiles and precise spatial perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्माधर्ममयौ = धर्म-अधर्म-मयौ; गृहमध्ये = गृह-मध्ये; वहिर्दद्याद्वरुणायोदकाशये = वहिः दद्यात् वरुणाय उदक-आशये.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 263 (gṛhya-śrāddha/dāna-vidhi sequence); Agni Purana sections on bali and gṛhya rites (adjacent verses 263.18–263.21)
FAQs
It prescribes a spatially mapped household offering (bali/dāna) protocol: specific deities/forces are propitiated at the doorway, the house-center, outside, and at the water-storage area.
It records practical gṛhya-ritual micro-instructions linking domestic architecture (threshold, center, exterior, water-spot) with cosmological/ethical deities—showing the text’s coverage of lived ritual practice alongside theology and dharma.
By propitiating Dharma/Adharma, stabilizing Dhruva, appeasing Mṛtyu, and honoring Varuṇa at the water-place, the rite is meant to maintain household order, reduce obstacles and inauspiciousness, and support purity and protection.