Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 67
Abhiṣeka-mantrāḥ
Consecration Mantras
कालञ्जरश् च केदारो रुद्रकोटिस्तथैव च वाराणसी महातीर्थं वदर्याश्रम एव च
kālañjaraś ca kedāro rudrakoṭistathaiva ca vārāṇasī mahātīrthaṃ vadaryāśrama eva ca
कालञ्जरश्च केदारो रुद्रकोटिस्तथैव च। वाराणसी महातीर्थं वदर्याश्रम एव च॥ एते श्रेष्ठतीर्थाः स्मृताः।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pilgrimage prioritization to major Shaiva and pan-Indic tīrthas (Kedāra, Kāśī, Badarī) for vrata, snāna, and darśana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Mahā-tīrtha-nāma: Kālañjara–Kedāra–Kāśī–Badarī","lookup_keywords":["Kalanjara","Kedara","Rudrakoti","Varanasi","Badaryashrama"],"quick_summary":"Names a cluster of eminent tīrthas—especially Kāśī and Kedāra—serving as a concise index for tīrtha-yātrā and merit-oriented observances."}
Concept: Mahā-tīrthas as concentrated loci of dharma, tapas, and liberation-oriented merit.
Application: Perform darśana, snāna, rudrābhiṣeka/śiva-pūjā at Śaiva sites; undertake japa and dāna in Kāśī; observe niyamas and āśrama-dharma at Badarī.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred itinerary montage: snowy Kedāra shrine, ghats of Vārāṇasī with lamps, ascetics at Badarī hermitage under badarī trees, and a rugged Kālañjara hill-fort silhouette.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, four-panel sacred montage: Kedara in Himalaya, Kashi ghats with deepa, Rudrakoti with Shiva symbols, Badari ashrama with sages; bold outlines, devotional calm","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central golden Kashi Vishvanatha/ghat motif with gold leaf, side vignettes of Kedara temple in snow and Badari ashrama with sages, ornate borders and rich reds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean labeled vignettes of Kalanjara, Kedara, Rudrakoti, Varanasi, Badaryashrama; fine brushwork, didactic composition, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed Varanasi riverfront with boats and lamps, inset scenes of Himalayan Kedara and forested Badari hermitage, architectural precision and naturalistic landscape"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कालञ्जरश् च = कालञ्जरः + च; रुद्रकोटिस्तथैव = रुद्रकोटिः + तथा + एव; वदर्याश्रम एव = वदर्याश्रमः + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 219 (continuation of tīrtha lists)
FAQs
It imparts tīrtha-vidyā: a practical identification of high-merit pilgrimage sites (tīrthas) to be visited/remembered for accruing religious merit and purification.
By cataloguing major pan-Indian sacred centers (Kāśī, Kedāra, Badarī, etc.), it functions like a geographic-religious index—one of the Agni Purāṇa’s hallmark encyclopedic lists spanning places, rites, and dharma.
Naming and honoring these mahātīrthas signals places traditionally believed to intensify purification (pāpa-kṣaya) and merit (puṇya), especially through pilgrimage, worship of Śiva/Vişṇu-associated sanctuaries, and sacred remembrance.