Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 1
Chapter 291 — Śāntyāyurveda
Ayurveda for Pacificatory Rites): Go-śānti, Penance-Regimens, and Therapeutics (incl. Veterinary Care
इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे गजशान्तिर्नाम नवत्यधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः कृद्वान्यस्मिन्निति ख , ज , ञ च अथैकनवत्यधिकद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः शान्त्यायुर्वेदः धन्वन्तरिर् उवाच गोविप्रपालनं कर्यं रज्ञा गोशान्तिमावदे गावः पवित्रा माङ्गल्या गोषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः
ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe gajaśāntirnāma navatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ kṛdvānyasminniti kha , ja , ña ca athaikanavatyadhikadviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ śāntyāyurvedaḥ dhanvantarir uvāca goviprapālanaṃ karyaṃ rajñā gośāntimāvade gāvaḥ pavitrā māṅgalyā goṣu lokāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ
इत्याग्नेये महापुराणे गजशान्तिर्नाम नवत्यधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः समाप्तः। अथैकनवत्यधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः शान्त्यायुर्वेदः। धन्वन्तरिरुवाच—राज्ञा गोविप्रपालनं कार्यं; गोशान्तिं वक्ष्यामि। गावः पवित्रा माङ्गल्या; गोषु लोकाः प्रतिष्ठिताः।
Dhanvantari
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Royal protective policy and pacificatory health-rite framing: safeguarding cows and brāhmaṇas, and performing go-śānti as a state-level śānti measure linked to wellbeing and auspiciousness.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Śāntyāyurveda Prastāva: Go-vipra-pālana and Go-śānti (cows as auspicious foundation)","lookup_keywords":["śāntyāyurveda","go-śānti","go-vipra-pālana","dhanvantari","maṅgalya"],"quick_summary":"Dhanvantari frames pacificatory Ayurveda for kings: protect cows and brāhmaṇas and perform cow-pacification rites, since cows are held as pure, auspicious supports of the worlds."}
Concept: Go-vipra-rakṣā is a pillar of righteous kingship; the cow is treated as a cosmic support and auspicious purifier within śānti logic.
Application: Adopt policies and rites that protect agrarian sustenance and ritual learning communities, aiming at stability, prosperity, and collective wellbeing.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Shanti-vidhi (Śāntyāyurveda; royal rites of pacification and protection)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Dhanvantari introduces Śāntyāyurveda to a king: teaching that the king must protect cows and brāhmaṇas; cows are shown as pure and auspicious, symbolically supporting the worlds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Dhanvantari seated teaching with amṛta-kalaśa, a king listening respectfully, brāhmaṇas nearby, serene cows adorned with garlands; earthy reds/ochres, temple-mural composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Dhanvantari with gold halo and ornate jewelry, king offering respect, sacred cows with decorative cloth and gold accents; embossed gold work emphasizing auspiciousness.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic court scene—Dhanvantari instructing, king and brāhmaṇas present, cows in foreground; fine linework and gentle shading, clear narrative clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: scholarly audience scene—physician-sage Dhanvantari addressing a ruler, attendants and brāhmaṇas, cows in a palace garden; intricate textiles and naturalistic animals."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity āgneye = iti + āgneye; gajaśāntirnāma = gajaśāntiḥ + nāma; 'dhyāyaḥ = adhyāyaḥ (avagraha); athaikanavatyadhikadviśatatamo = atha + eka-navati-adhika-dviśatatamaḥ; dhanvantarir uvāca = dhanvantariḥ + uvāca; gośāntimāvade = gośāntim + āvade.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 290 (Gaja-śānti chapter colophon and transition); Agni Purana 291 (Śāntyāyurveda section to follow: go-śānti details)
FAQs
It introduces Śāntyāyurveda and states the king’s practical duty of go-vipra-pālana (protecting cows and brāhmaṇas), then announces instruction in go-śānti—pacificatory rites aimed at securing welfare and averting harms/inauspicious conditions connected with cattle.
It links governance (rājadharma: protection of key social-religious supports) with ritual-therapeutic knowledge (śānti + āyurveda), showing how the Agni Purana integrates statecraft, ritual technology, and health/auspiciousness frameworks into a single compendium.
By framing cows as inherently purifying and auspicious—and as a foundation of the worlds—the verse presents their protection as a merit-producing royal obligation that sustains cosmic and social order while promoting prosperity and the removal of inauspiciousness.