Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 19
Chapter 174 — प्रायश्चित्तानि
Expiations
गङ्गा गया प्रयागश् च काश्ययोध्या ह्य् अवम्तिका प्रवृत्तैस्तु निवृत्तैस्तु इज्यते भुक्तिमुक्तिद इति घ , ङ , झ , ञ च अघनाशनमिति ग कुरुक्षेत्रं पुष्करञ्च नैमिषं पुरुषोत्तमः
gaṅgā gayā prayāgaś ca kāśyayodhyā hy avamtikā pravṛttaistu nivṛttaistu ijyate bhuktimuktida iti gha , ṅa , jha , ña ca aghanāśanamiti ga kurukṣetraṃ puṣkarañca naimiṣaṃ puruṣottamaḥ
गङ्गा गया प्रयागश्च काशी अयोध्या तथावन्तिका च प्रवृत्तैर्निवृत्तैश्च पूज्यन्ते; भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदा इति श्रूयते। घ-ङ-झ-ञ इति संज्ञा, ‘अघनाशन’ इति ग-संज्ञा; तथा कुरुक्षेत्रं पुष्करं नैमिषं पुरुषोत्तमं च।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Pilgrimage planning and tīrtha-selection for both householders and renunciants; using tīrtha-mahātmya lists as a guide for bhukti-mukti oriented practice.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Principal tīrthas granting bhukti and mukti (Gaṅgā–Gayā–Prayāga–Kāśī–Ayodhyā–Avantikā etc.)","lookup_keywords":["Gaṅgā","Gayā","Prayāga","Kāśī","Kurukṣetra"],"quick_summary":"A canonical list of major tīrthas is given as universally worship-worthy for both active and renounced life, praised as bestowing worldly welfare and liberation."}
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā is valid for both pravṛtti (worldly engagement) and nivṛtti (renunciation), and can serve both bhukti and mukti aims.
Application: Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with intention aligned to one’s āśrama; combine snāna, dāna, japa, and pūjā at these sites.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A map-like pilgrimage tableau showing iconic markers: Gaṅgā riverbank, Gayā śrāddha platform, Prayāga saṅgama, Kāśī ghāṭas, Ayodhyā temples, Avantikā Mahākāla, Kurukṣetra field, Puṣkara lake, Naimiṣa forest, and Puruṣottama (Jagannātha) shrine—pilgrims of both householder and ascetic appearance worshipping.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural panorama with segmented vignettes of each tīrtha; stylized rivers and ghāṭas; ascetics and householders in distinct attire; temple towers simplified; decorative border with conch and lotus motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore composition: central Jagannātha/Puruṣottama with gold halo; surrounding medallions for Gaṅgā, Kāśī, Prayāga saṅgama, Gayā śrāddha; embossed gold for sacred emblems; richly ornamented frames.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: clean, didactic layout like a pilgrimage chart; each tīrtha labeled in Devanāgarī; fine linework for ghāṭas, lakes, forest hermitage; pilgrims performing snāna and arcana.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature travel scene: caravan of pilgrims moving between river ghāṭas and towns; detailed architecture for Kāśī and Ayodhyā; naturalistic trees for Naimiṣa; delicate water rendering for Gaṅgā and Puṣkara."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: prayāgaś ca = prayāgaḥ ca; kāśyayodhyā read as kāśī ayodhyā (two toponyms); pravṛttaistu = pravṛttaiḥ tu; nivṛttaistu = nivṛttaiḥ tu; puṣkarañca = puṣkaram ca; metrical/editional noise: ‘avamtikā’ normalized to avantikā; letter-names (gha, ṅa, jha, ña, ga) treated as avyaya (metalinguistic).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: tīrtha-mahātmya passages; Agni Purana: dāna and snāna-vidhi topics; Agni Purana: mokṣa/dhyāna teachings near this section
FAQs
It conveys tirtha-vidyā: the classification and efficacy of प्रमुख तीर्थs—places to be worshipped/visited by both householders and renunciants—described as granting both worldly fruition (bhukti) and liberation (mukti), and as removing sin (aghanāśana).
By cataloging major pan-Indian pilgrimage centers and summarizing their soteriological function (bhukti–mukti, sin-removal), it adds a sacred-geography index to the Purana’s wide-ranging compendium of dharma, ritual practice, and spiritual aims.
It teaches that reverence for these tīrthas is universally applicable (for both pravṛtta and nivṛtta) and is credited with expiating sin and supporting both prosperity and liberation—linking pilgrimage to karma-purification and mokṣa-oriented merit.