Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 49
Chapter 282 — नानारोगहराण्यौषधानि
Medicines that Remove Various Diseases
पिष्ट्वा लिप्य पदे द्वे च चरेदङ्गारके नरः तृणौत्थानादिकं व्यूह्य दर्शयन्वै कुतूहलं
piṣṭvā lipya pade dve ca caredaṅgārake naraḥ tṛṇautthānādikaṃ vyūhya darśayanvai kutūhalaṃ
पिष्ट्वा तद् द्रव्यं पदयोर्द्वयोर्लिप्य नरः अङ्गारके चरेत्। तृणोत्थानादिकं व्यूह्य कुतूहलं वै दर्शयेत्।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Natya","practical_application":"Demonstrative/occult performance: preparing a paste, smearing on feet, and walking over embers; staging straw/grass effects to create public marvel (kautūhala).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Aṅgāraka-caraṇa (Walking on Embers) Demonstration with Foot-Smeared Paste","lookup_keywords":["aṅgāraka","pāda-lepa","fire-walking","kautūhala","abhicāra-prayoga"],"quick_summary":"A paste is prepared and applied to the feet to enable walking over embers; additional arranged effects with grass/straw are used to display a marvel."}
Concept: Kriyā-siddhi through applied substances and staged ritual action to produce extraordinary effects.
Application: Frames a reproducible ‘prayoga’ for public demonstration, emphasizing technique and arrangement (vyūha).
Khanda Section: Tantric-Kriya / Abhicara-Prayoga (Ritual actions and occult demonstrations)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner with paste-smeared feet walks across glowing embers while assistants arrange grass and straw formations to heighten the spectacle; onlookers watch in astonishment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bold outlines, ember bed as stylized red-orange band, practitioner mid-step with ritual composure, attendants placing grass bundles, crowd in profile rows, temple-courtyard feel.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights on ember glow and ornaments, central figure stepping on embers, decorative border, attendants holding straw, dramatic yet iconic symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined instructional depiction: preparation of paste, application to feet, then ember-walk; subtle flames, calm facial expressions, annotated props.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night courtyard with detailed ember texture, spectators in varied garments, attendants arranging straw patterns, dynamic movement captured with fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cared+aṅgārake→चरेदङ्गारके; darśayan+vai→दर्शयन् वै.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 282 (abhicāra and practical demonstrations); Agni Purana 283 (transition to mantra-based therapeutics)
FAQs
It teaches a practical abhicāra/kautuka procedure: prepare a paste (ground substance), smear it on the feet, and then perform controlled walking on embers while arranging straw/grass effects to produce a visible marvel.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogues applied techniques—ritual actions, protective/occult practices, and public demonstrations—showing its wide scope across pragmatic and specialized domains.
Within the text’s abhicāra/kautuka frame, the act is presented as a ritualized display of mastery over fire and phenomena; its significance lies in demonstrating siddhi-like control rather than a general purification rite.