Agni Purana — Vastu-Pratishtha & Isana-kalpa, Shloka 39
Chapter 64 — कूपादिप्रतिष्ठाकथनं
The Account of the Consecration of Wells and Other Water-Works
द्विजेभ्यो दक्षिणा देया आगतान् भोजयेत्तथा आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ता ये केचित्सलिलार्थिनः
dvijebhyo dakṣiṇā deyā āgatān bhojayettathā ābrahmastambaparyantā ye kecitsalilārthinaḥ
Deve-se oferecer dakṣiṇā (honorário ritual) aos dvija, e igualmente alimentar os que chegaram. E quaisquer seres—de Brahmā até uma lâmina de relva—que busquem água, devem recebê-la.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Daily dana and atithi-seva: give dakshina to qualified dvijas, feed arriving guests, and ensure universal access to drinking water for all beings.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Atithi-sevā and universal water-gift (jala-dāna)","lookup_keywords":["dakshina","atithi-seva","anna-dana","jala-dana","sarva-bhuta-daya"],"quick_summary":"Honor learned dvijas with dakshina, feed those who arrive, and give water to any being that seeks it; the act is framed as compassion extending from Brahma to grass."}
Alamkara Type: Avadhi (range-expression) / Vyatireka-like totality
Concept: Sarva-bhuta-daya expressed as dana—especially water and food—as a primary marker of righteous conduct.
Application: Institutionalize open access: water pots, wells, feeding stations; treat guests and seekers without discrimination.
Khanda Section: Dāna-Dharma & Atithi-Sevā (Charity, hospitality, and ritual merit)
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder offers dakshina to a seated brahmana, serves food to arriving guests, and pours drinking water for travelers and animals; the scene subtly includes grass and small creatures to show ‘from Brahma to a blade of grass’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a dharmic householder in traditional attire offering a brass vessel of water and a leaf-plate meal to guests and a brahmana receiving dakshina, stylized flora and small beings indicating universal compassion, flat decorative background, sacred calm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure of a benevolent grihastha with ornate jewelry and rich textiles, gold-leaf highlights on water pot and offering tray, brahmana seated with palm-leaf manuscript, guests at the threshold, symbolic grass and animals, temple-lamp ambience.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework and soft shading, instructional tableau: labeled elements (dakshina, bhojana, jala-patra), orderly household courtyard with water stand, serene expressions, emphasis on ritual propriety.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard with attendants serving water and food, brahmana receiving coins, travelers and animals at a water station, intricate textiles and architecture, naturalistic plants including a prominent blade of grass motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्विजेभ्यो→द्विजेभ्यः; आब्रह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्ता→आ-ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-पर्यन्ताः; केचित्सलिलार्थिनः→केचित् + सलिलार्थिनः; सलिलार्थिनः→सलिल-অर्थिनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dana-dharma sections on anna-dana and jala-dana (within the same khanda); Agni Purana: atithi-dharma and grihastha duties passages
FAQs
It prescribes dāna-vidhi: giving dakṣiṇā to qualified dvijas (as an honorarium/ritual gift), practicing atithi-sevā by feeding arrivals, and performing salila-dāna (offering water) universally to any water-seeker.
Alongside its many technical subjects, the Agni Purana also codifies practical dharma—here, concrete social-ritual duties (dakṣiṇā, feeding guests, water charity) that function as a handbook for daily religious life.
The verse frames generosity—especially feeding and giving water—as a high-merit act rooted in compassion, extending dharma beyond humans to all living beings, thereby increasing puṇya and purifying conduct.