Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 26
Dānādi-māhātmya — The Glory of Gifts, Manuscript-Donation, and Purāṇic Transmission
नरनारयणौ पूज्यौ पुस्तकाः कुसुमादिभिः गो ऽन्नभूहेम दद्वाथ भोजयित्वा क्षमापयेत्
naranārayaṇau pūjyau pustakāḥ kusumādibhiḥ go 'nnabhūhema dadvātha bhojayitvā kṣamāpayet
ਨਰ-ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰੇ ਅਤੇ ਪੁਸਤਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਵੀ ਫੁੱਲ ਆਦਿ ਨਾਲ ਅਰਚਨਾ ਕਰੇ। ਫਿਰ ਗਾਂ, ਅੰਨ, ਭੂਮੀ ਅਤੇ ਸੋਨਾ ਦਾਨ ਕਰਕੇ, ਭੋਜਨ ਕਰਵਾ ਕੇ, ਖ਼ਿਮਾ ਮੰਗੇ।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Concluding a recitation/rite by worshiping Nara-Nārāyaṇa and venerating books; then performing dāna, feeding, and formal kṣamāpana to seal the observance and rectify omissions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nara-Nārāyaṇa-pūjā, pustaka-pūjā, dāna-bhojana, and kṣamāpana","lookup_keywords":["Nara-Nārāyaṇa","pustaka-pūjā","kṣamāpana","go-dāna","anna-dāna"],"quick_summary":"Worship Nara-Nārāyaṇa and the sacred books with flowers; give cow/food/land/gold, feed the worthy, and ask forgiveness for ritual faults."}
Concept: Completion is perfected by humility: worship, charity, hospitality, and kṣamāpana transform performance into purified merit.
Application: End any major vrata/recitation with a forgiveness prayer, plus tangible service (feeding/charity) rather than mere formalism.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Dana, Bhojana, Kshamapana and Devata-puja procedures)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: Tirtha (implied)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Twin deities Nara and Nārāyaṇa are worshiped with flowers; beside them, sacred books rest on a pedestal receiving floral offerings; donors present cow, grain, land deed, and gold; a final gesture of kṣamāpana is performed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Nara-Nārāyaṇa seated side-by-side in yogic calm, garlands and lotus flowers, books on a raised wooden stand with flowers, devotees offering cow and gold, oil lamps, flat iconic symmetry","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, twin sages under an ornate prabhāmaṇḍala, heavy gold foil on halos and pedestal, book-stand decorated with gold, offerings of flowers and coins, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic clarity: altar with two icons and a book pedestal, labeled offerings (go/anna/bhū/hema), priest performing kṣamāpana with añjali, soft pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined shrine interior, twin ascetics painted with delicate shading, books on a dais with flower petals, attendants bringing gifts, expressive faces showing humility during kṣamāpana"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: go 'nna- = go + anna (avagraha indicates vowel sandhi); dadvātha = dattvā + atha (orthographic variant in text); anna-bhū-hema treated as a dvandva list.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 271 (dāna, bhojana, pūjā, kṣamāpana sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes a complete closing-sequence of worship: honor Nara–Nārāyaṇa and sacred books with offerings, perform key dānas (cow, food, land, gold), feed the worthy, and conclude with kṣamāpana (requesting pardon for procedural defects).
It compresses multiple applied domains—devatā-pūjā, pustaka/śāstra-saṃskāra (reverence for texts), dāna taxonomy, hospitality/feeding rites, and expiatory etiquette—showing how the Agni Purana functions as a practical ritual handbook alongside its broader teachings.
The gifts and feeding cultivate puṇya through generosity, while kṣamāpana ritually neutralizes omissions or mistakes, aiming to make the worship spiritually complete and free of doṣa (fault).