Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 3
Mantras for the Parasol and Other Royal/Worship Emblems (छत्रादिमन्त्रादयः)
यथाम्बुदश्छादयते शिवायैनां वसुन्धरां तथाच्छादय राजानं विजयारोग्यवृद्धये
yathāmbudaśchādayate śivāyaināṃ vasundharāṃ tathācchādaya rājānaṃ vijayārogyavṛddhaye
మేఘం శుభార్థంగా ఈ వసుంధరను కప్పినట్లే, అలాగే రాజును కప్పి (రక్షించి) ఉండు—విజయం మరియు ఆరోగ్యవృద్ధి కోసం।
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Rajadharma","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Protective invocation over the king (often via the parasol/royal canopy) to ensure victory, health, and prosperity—used in coronation processions, battlefield departures, and daily court maṅgala rites.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Rāja-ācchādana (protective covering) for vijaya-ārogya-vṛddhi","lookup_keywords":["rājā-rakṣā","ācchādana","megha-upamā","vijaya","ārogya"],"quick_summary":"Uses the cloud-covering analogy to prescribe a protective ‘covering’ of the king—ritually and symbolically—to promote victory and health."}
Alamkara Type: Upamā (simile)
Concept: Ruler’s welfare is tied to the land’s welfare; protective kingship mirrors nature’s beneficence (cloud sustaining earth).
Application: Frame governance as sheltering care; employ auspicious rites to reinforce the king’s duty to protect and nourish subjects.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Governance, royal protection rites, and prosperity-invocations)
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king is ceremonially covered/protected by a parasol or canopy, likened to a rain-cloud shading the earth; attendants hold the chhatra while priests recite for victory and health.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, king under large parasol, cloud motifs above, earth personified as fertile landscape, priests chanting, strong yet serene palette, protective symbolism emphasized.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, enthroned king with ornate parasol, gold foil on canopy and jewelry, subtle cloud patterning, inscription-like mantra band, auspicious court setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, processional scene: attendants holding parasol precisely over king’s head, priest reciting, clear depiction of ‘covering’ action, soft colors and fine lines.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, royal procession with parasol bearer, monsoon clouds in sky, detailed textiles and faces, dynamic yet orderly composition, emphasis on protective canopy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यथाम्बुदश्छादयते → यथा अम्बुदः छादयते; शिवायैनाम् → शिवाय एनाम्; तथाच्छादय → तथा छादय; विजयारोग्यवृद्धये → विजय-आरोग्य-वृद्धये (dvandva).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 268 (chatrādi-mantras for royal protection); Agni Purana rājadharma-related passages
FAQs
It teaches a protective ‘covering/enveloping’ act (chādanam) directed toward the king, framed as an auspicious safeguard intended to produce victory (vijaya) and health (ārogya).
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied royal-ritual language—pragmatic instructions for state welfare—showing the text’s breadth across governance (rājadharma) and ritualized methods of ensuring public stability through the king’s well-being.
By invoking auspicious protection comparable to a life-giving cloud over the earth, the act is presented as dharmic support of righteous rulership, aiming at collective welfare through the ruler’s victory and freedom from disease.