Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 23
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
तच्च द्वादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्माण्डं तद्द्विजे ऽर्पयेत् भारते पर्वसमाप्तौ वस्त्रगन्धस्रगादिभिः
tacca dvādaśasāhasraṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ taddvije 'rpayet bhārate parvasamāptau vastragandhasragādibhiḥ
ਉਹ ਬਾਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਸ਼ਲੋਕਾਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾਂਡ ਪੁਰਾਣ ਉਸ ਦ੍ਵਿਜ ਨੂੰ ਅਰਪਣ ਕਰੇ; ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ (ਮਹਾਭਾਰਤ) ਦੇ ਪਰਵ ਦੀ ਸਮਾਪਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਵਸਤ੍ਰ, ਸੁਗੰਧ, ਫੁੱਲਾਂ ਦੀ ਮਾਲਾ ਆਦਿ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਸਤਕਾਰ ਕਰੇ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Grantha-dāna and satkāra: gift the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa (twelve-thousand verses) to a qualified brāhmaṇa; at the completion of a Mahābhārata parvan, honor the reciter/teacher with cloth, perfumes, garlands, etc.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa-grantha-dāna and Bhārata-parvan-samāpti satkāra","lookup_keywords":["brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa dāna","dvādaśa-sahasra","dvija","bhārata parvan-samāpti","vastra-gandha-srag"],"quick_summary":"Donate the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa text to a brāhmaṇa; upon finishing a Mahābhārata section, perform honorific offerings—garments, fragrance, garlands—supporting śravaṇa/pravacana culture."}
Alamkara Type: Grantha-māhātmya (textual valorization)
Concept: Dharma is preserved by supporting transmission of śāstra/itihāsa—grantha-dāna and honoring teachers/reciters are meritorious duties.
Application: Sponsor manuscript/text gifting; institute end-of-recitation honoraria (vastra, gandha, srag) for pāṭhaka/vyākhyātā to sustain learning lineages.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Gifts, vows, and ritual donations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal assembly where a brāhmaṇa receives a bound manuscript labeled ‘Brahmāṇḍa (12,000)’, and a Mahābhārata recitation concludes with the patron offering garments, perfume, and flower garlands to the reciter.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sabhā scene with seated brāhmaṇas, patron presenting a palm-leaf Brahmāṇḍa manuscript, attendants holding folded cloth, perfume vessel, and garlands; lamps and temple pillars in background.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: richly ornamented satkāra—gold-highlighted manuscript, lavish garlands, perfume flask, silk cloth with gold borders; recipient brāhmaṇa with halo; ornate arch and gold leaf accents.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction of end-of-parvan ceremony—reciter with Mahābhārata manuscript, patron offering vastra-gandha-srag; clear object rendering and gentle colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: literary salon after Bhārata parvan completion, patron gifting manuscript and honoraria, detailed textiles, perfume bottles, flower garlands, attentive audience, fine border illumination."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तच्च = तत् + च; तद्द्विजे = तत् + द्विजे; द्विजेऽर्पयेत् = द्विजे + अर्पयेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 271 (dāna-vidhi; Purāṇa/itihāsa gifting and phala)
FAQs
It prescribes a dāna-vidhi: gifting a specific Purāṇa text (the Brahmāṇḍa) to a qualified brāhmaṇa, and making completion-offerings (vastra, perfumes, garlands, etc.) at the end of each Mahābhārata parvan.
It shows the Agni Purāṇa functioning as a practical manual of dharma—linking textual study/recitation (Itihāsa-Purāṇa) with concrete ritual protocols (honoraria and gifts), alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, poetics).
Completing scriptural recitation and honoring the learned with prescribed gifts is framed as merit-generating (puṇya), supporting dharma through patronage of Vedic learning and sanctifying the completion of sacred study.