Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 21
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
मत्स्यो हि मनवे दद्याद्विषुवे हेममत्स्यवत् गारुडञ्चाष्टसाहस्रं विष्णूक्तन्तार्क्षकल्पके
matsyo hi manave dadyādviṣuve hemamatsyavat gāruḍañcāṣṭasāhasraṃ viṣṇūktantārkṣakalpake
ਵਿਸੁਵ ਦੇ ਦਿਨ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਨੂੰ ਸੋਨੇ ਦੀ ਮੱਛੀ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੱਛੀ ਦਾਨ ਕਰੇ; ਅਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂ-ਉਕਤ ਤਾਰਕ੍ਸ਼-ਕਲਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਗਾਰੁੜ ਦਾਨ ਦਾ ਫਲ ਅੱਠ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, narrating purāṇic dharma to a sage, traditionally Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"On viṣuva, perform matsya-dāna as a golden fish to a brāhmaṇa; additionally observe the Viṣṇu-proclaimed Tārkṣya-kalpa rule where a Gāruḍa-related gift yields eight-thousand merit.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Viṣuva Matsya-dāna and Tārkṣya-kalpa Gāruḍa-phala","lookup_keywords":["matsya-dāna","hema-matsya","viṣuva","tārkṣya-kalpa","gāruḍa aṣṭasahasra"],"quick_summary":"At the equinox, donate a gold fish-form gift to a brāhmaṇa; the Tārkṣya-kalpa tradition attributes an eight-thousand merit to the Gāruḍa-related observance."}
Alamkara Type: Śāstra-sūcana (textual citation)
Concept: Symbolic dāna aligns the donor with avatāra/vāhana principles (Matsya, Garuḍa) and with cosmic order marked by viṣuva.
Application: Use icon-form substitutes (gold fish/bird token) for prescribed dānas; time them to viṣuva for heightened ritual efficacy.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Ritual Gifts and Merit on Sacred Days)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At equinox sunrise, a donor offers a gold fish icon to a brāhmaṇa; nearby a Garuḍa banner/emblem indicates the Tārkṣya-kalpa, with ‘8,000’ merit symbolized by a bead-count or coin piles.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: riverbank/equinox sun, brāhmaṇa seated, donor presenting a shining hema-matsya on a tray, Garuḍa flag fluttering, stylized bead-string indicating aṣṭasahasra.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold fish icon with embossed gold leaf, Garuḍa emblem in the background, ornate lamps and arch, rich reds and greens, devotional Vaiṣṇava atmosphere.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean instructional scene—fish-shaped gold object, labeled ‘hema-matsya’, and a Garuḍa insignia labeled ‘tārkṣya-kalpa’, balanced equinox sun motif, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: patron gifting a gold fish to a learned brāhmaṇa, attendants holding a Garuḍa standard, meticulous rendering of jewelry and textiles, garden terrace at dawn."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दद्याद्विषुवे = दद्यात् + विषुवे; गारुडञ्च = गारुडम् + च; अष्टसाहस्रं = अष्टसाहस्रम् (रूपान्तर/प्रयोगभेद); विष्णूक्तन्तार्क्षकल्पके = विष्णूक्तम् + तार्क्षकल्पके (अनुस्वार/सन्धि).
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 271.19–23 (sequence of animal-form dānas and Purāṇa authorities)
FAQs
It prescribes a viṣuva (equinox) dāna: offering a fish fashioned in gold to a qualified recipient, and notes a Garuḍa/Tārkṣa-kalpa rite whose stated merit is ‘eight thousand’ units.
It catalogues calendrical dharma (equinox observances), specific iconographic gift-forms (golden fish), and cross-references a named ritual manual (Tārkṣa-kalpa), showing how the text compiles diverse ritual procedures and their phala.
Performing the prescribed equinox gift is presented as a high-merit act (puṇya), with the Garuḍa/Tārkṣa-kalpa explicitly linked to a large stated fruit (aṣṭasāhasra), indicating amplified karmic benefit through timely, rule-based charity.