Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 47
अध्याय १ — यजुर्विधानम्
Agni Purana, Chapter 259: Yajur-vidhāna
दूर्वाकाण्डायुतं हुत्वा काण्डात् काण्डेति मानवः ग्रामे जनपदे वापि मरकन्तु शमन्नयेत्
dūrvākāṇḍāyutaṃ hutvā kāṇḍāt kāṇḍeti mānavaḥ grāme janapade vāpi marakantu śamannayet
दूर्वाकाण्डायुतं हुत्वा ‘काण्डात् काण्डे’ इति मन्त्रेण; ग्रामे जनपदे वापि मरकस्य शमनं नयेत्।
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana teachings to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Public-calamity pacification (māraka/epidemic death) through large-count dūrvā-homa (10,000 stalks) with the mantra “kāṇḍāt kāṇḍe”, scalable from village to region.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dūrvā-kāṇḍa sahasra-homa for māraka-śamana","lookup_keywords":["dūrvā","kāṇḍāt kāṇḍe","maraka","grāma-śānti","janapada-śānti"],"quick_summary":"A mass-offering of dūrvā stalks with a fixed mantra is prescribed as a śānti-kalpa to pacify epidemic mortality affecting a village or an entire territory."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Loka-saṅgraha: ritual action undertaken for collective protection and reduction of suffering.
Application: Organize a sanctioned community śānti-homa during outbreaks or mass fear, emphasizing collective intention and disciplined count-based offering.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Ritual Remedies and Public Calamity-Apacāra / Śānti)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A large public homa where bundles of dūrvā grass are offered repeatedly; villagers gather as the priest chants “kāṇḍāt kāṇḍe,” symbolically halting epidemic death spreading through the region.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, wide frieze of community around a blazing homa, heaps of dūrvā rendered as rhythmic green strokes, priest chanting, protective deities implied in the sky band, solemn compassionate tone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central altar with gold flames, dūrvā bundles stacked, villagers in devotional poses, ornate aureole around the ritual fire, emphasis on auspicious protection.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: counting bundles (10,000) shown as tall stacks, mantra caption “kāṇḍāt kāṇḍe”, clear ritual implements, calm authoritative composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed town-square ritual, attendants passing dūrvā bundles, expressive faces of anxious villagers, smoke drifting over rooftops as a protective veil."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vāpi = vā + api. marakantu likely resolves as marakaṃ + tu (anusvāra lost in transmission). śamannayet resolves as śamam + nayet (m+n sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 259 (janapada-śānti prayogāḥ)
FAQs
It prescribes a śānti-homa using ten thousand dūrvā stalks, offered sequentially while reciting the formula “kāṇḍāt kāṇḍe”, to pacify epidemic mortality affecting a village or wider region.
Beyond theology, it records applied public-protection rites—community-level calamity management (maraka-śānti) through quantified offerings, specific substances (dūrvā), and a designated mantra—showing the text’s practical ritual-technology alongside its many other disciplines.
The rite frames epidemic pacification as a dharmic act of appeasement and purification: by disciplined homa and mantra, the practitioner seeks to neutralize destructive forces and restore collective wellbeing, accruing merit through protection of the community.