Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 17
Mantra-paribhāṣā (मन्त्रपरिभाषा) — Colophon/Closure
हस्ता मन्दकुजौ वारौ पञ्चमी चाष्टमी तिथिः नाडिकामात्रसन्त्रकमिति ञ विनिर्दिशेदिति क , ख , ज , ट च षष्ठी रैक्ता शिवा निन्द्या पञ्चमी च चतुर्दशी
hastā mandakujau vārau pañcamī cāṣṭamī tithiḥ nāḍikāmātrasantrakamiti ña vinirdiśediti ka , kha , ja , ṭa ca ṣaṣṭhī raiktā śivā nindyā pañcamī ca caturdaśī
เมื่อฤกษ์หัสตา (Hastā) ตรงกับวันเสาร์และวันอังคาร ให้ถือว่าตถีที่ ๕ และที่ ๘ ก่ออุปสรรคเพียงชั่วหนึ่งนาฑิกา เรียกว่าอยู่ในหมวด ‘ญ’ (ña) ส่วนหมวด ‘ก ข จ ฏ’ นั้น ตถีที่ ๖ เป็น “ริกตะ” คือไร้ผล ‘ศิวา’ เป็นที่ควรติ และตถีที่ ๕ กับที่ ๑๔ ก็พึงหลีกเลี่ยงเช่นกัน।
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s encyclopedic instruction style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Jyotisha","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Selecting/avoiding specific tithi–vāra–nakṣatra combinations for rites (vivāha, yātrā, dīkṣā, gṛha-praveśa) by identifying short-lived obstructions (nāḍikā-mātra) and censurable tithis.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Hastā–Śani/Maṅgala yoga: tithi-doṣa and nāḍikā-mātra antarāya","lookup_keywords":["Hastā nakṣatra","tithi-doṣa","Śanivāra","Maṅgalavāra","nāḍikā-mātra"],"quick_summary":"When Hastā coincides with Saturday/Tuesday, the 5th and 8th tithis yield only a brief obstruction (nāḍikā-mātra). Additional letter-coded classes (ña, ka, kha, ja, ṭa) mark certain tithis (6th, 5th, 14th, and a censurable ‘śivā’) as avoidable for auspicious acts."}
Concept: Kāla (time) as a dharma-sādhana: ritual efficacy depends on avoiding doṣa-yogas and choosing śubha-kāla.
Application: Use pañcāṅga-based screening before initiating saṃskāras; if obstruction is nāḍikā-mātra, delay the act briefly rather than abandoning the day.
Khanda Section: Jyotiṣa (Muhurta & Tithi-doṣa / auspicious-inauspicious lunar dates)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pañcāṅga-reading scene: a jyotiṣin marks Hastā nakṣatra on a palm-leaf almanac, noting Saturday/Tuesday and circling the 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th tithis as doṣa-bearing; a small hour-waterclock (ghaṭī/nāḍikā) indicates the brief obstruction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, seated jyotiṣin with palm-leaf pañcāṅga, Hastā nakṣatra symbol, Saturn and Mars icons, traditional oil-lamp, muted earthy palette, temple-study ambience, clear tithi markings and a small waterclock (ghaṭikā).","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate jyotiṣin with gold-leaf highlights, stylized Saturn and Mars in corners, palm-leaf manuscript with tithi circles (5,6,8,14), decorative border, rich reds and greens, subtle waterclock motif.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition: chart-like pañcāṅga grid showing vāra–nakṣatra–tithi, Hastā highlighted, annotations ‘ña/ka/kha/ja/ṭa’, fine linework, calm scholarly setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court astrologer presenting a calendar sheet to a patron, detailed manuscript calligraphy, small planetary emblems for Mars and Saturn, precise marginal notes on tithis, indoor study with instruments and a small clepsydra."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi/segmentation applied: cāṣṭamī → ca + aṣṭamī; nāḍikāmātrasantrakamiti → nāḍikā-mātra-sन्त्रकम् + iti; vinirdiśediti → vinirdiśet + iti. Letter-names (ka, kha, ja, ṭa, ña) treated as avyaya-like वर्ण-निर्देश.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Jyotiṣa-khaṇḍa: muhūrta-prakaraṇa; Agni Purana: tithi-nakṣatra-doṣa lists and letter-coded yogas
FAQs
It gives muhurta-style rules: specific combinations of Hastā nakṣatra with Tuesday/Saturday and certain tithis create short-lived or condemnable timing defects (doṣas), guiding when to avoid or cautiously time rites.
Beyond mythology, it preserves applied calendrical science—mapping weekdays, nakṣatras, and tithis into practical decision rules for ritual scheduling—showing the Purana’s coverage of Jyotiṣa and muhurta traditions.
Choosing (or avoiding) defective times is presented as protecting rites from obstruction and ensuring their intended merit (puṇya) is not diminished by inauspicious calendrical conditions.