Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 3
Chapter 296 — Viṣa-cikitsā: Mantras and Antidotes for Poison, Stings, and Snake-bite
ॐ नमो भगवते रुद्राय प्रेताधिपतये गुत्त्व गर्ज भ्रामय मुञ्च मुह्य कट आविश सुवर्णपतङ्ग रुद्रो ज्ञापयति ठ पातालक्षोभमन्त्रोयं मन्त्रणाद्विषनाशनः दंशकाहिदंशे सद्यो दष्टः काष्ठशिलादिना
oṃ namo bhagavate rudrāya pretādhipataye guttva garja bhrāmaya muñca muhya kaṭa āviśa suvarṇapataṅga rudro jñāpayati ṭha pātālakṣobhamantroyaṃ mantraṇādviṣanāśanaḥ daṃśakāhidaṃśe sadyo daṣṭaḥ kāṣṭhaśilādinā
โอม ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระภควานรุทระ ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งหมู่เปรต “จงผูก/ยึดไว้ จงคำราม จงหมุนวน จงปล่อย จงทำให้หลง จงฟัน จงเข้าสิง; โอ้ผู้มีปีกทอง!”—ดังนี้พระรุทระทรงบัญชา นี่คือมนต์ ‘ปาตาลกฺโษภะ’; เมื่อสวดภาวนาย่อมทำลายพิษได้ ในกรณีถูกต่อยหรือถูกงูกัด—เมื่อถูกกัดฉับพลัน แม้เป็นดุจถูกพิษจากการสัมผัสไม้ หิน และสิ่งทำนองนั้น—ให้ใช้เพื่อระงับพิษโดยฉับพลัน
Lord Agni (teaching as an encyclopedic narrator of rites and remedies, traditionally to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Protective recitation for immediate viṣa-śamana in sarpa-daṃśa and other toxic contacts; used as rakṣā-mantra alongside first-aid measures.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Pātāla-kṣobha Viṣanāśana Mantra (Rudra-preta-adhipati)","lookup_keywords":["pātāla-kṣobha","viṣanāśana","rudra mantra","sarpa-daṃśa","rakṣā-mantra"],"quick_summary":"A Rudra-addressed protective mantra said to ‘agitate the netherworld’ and destroy poison; prescribed for stings and snake-bite emergencies for rapid neutralization."}
Concept: Mantra-śakti as immediate rakṣā against viṣa; Rudra as controller of bhūta-preta forces and remover of afflictions.
Application: Use of authoritative deity-invocation and imperative mantra-nyāsa/uccāraṇa in crisis situations (viṣa-apāya).
Khanda Section: Mantra-Tantra & Raksha (Protective Spells; Vishahara/Poison-Apāya Remedies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A healer-priest urgently recites a fierce Rudra mantra over a snake-bitten person; Rudra’s command subdues the poison as a dark force leaving the wound.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, Rudra as fierce protector with matted hair and trident, surrounded by subtle preta-gaṇas, a patient with snake-bite on the ground, priest chanting, stylized dark poison vapors dispersing, earthy reds and greens, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Rudra in ornate frame with gold leaf halo, priest in foreground holding palm-leaf manuscript, bitten limb shown, poison depicted as black serpentine aura being driven away, rich jewel tones, heavy gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional tableau: healer chanting ‘Pātāla-kṣobha’ mantra, patient supported by attendants, minimal background, clear labeling-like arrangement, delicate lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court-physician and mantra-reciter attending a victim of snake-bite, detailed flora and a small serpent nearby, calligraphic mantra strip, poison shown as smoky tendrils, fine brushwork and naturalistic faces"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"apotropaic","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्त्रोयं → मन्त्रः अयम्; मन्त्रणाद्विषनाशनः → मन्त्रणात् विष-नाशनः; दंशकाहिदंशे → दंशक-अहि-दंशे; काष्ठशिलादिना → काष्ठ-शिला-आदिना. Several mantra-syllables (गुत्त्व, कट, ठ) treated as avyaya.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 296 (viṣahara-prayoga section); Agni Purana mantra-rakṣā prakaraṇas in Mantra-Tantra khanda
FAQs
It teaches a specific viṣa-nāśana (poison-neutralizing) protective mantra—named the Pātāla-kṣobha mantra—used as an emergency remedy for stings and snake-bites through commanded, coercive mantra-verbs and bīja-syllables.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical, applied knowledge—here, a ritual-therapeutic protocol (mantra-based first-response) for venom and sudden afflictions, illustrating its coverage of both spiritual and pragmatic life-protection measures.
Invoking Rudra as a fierce protector frames healing as dharmic protection of life; the act of mantra-recitation is treated as a purificatory, spiritually authorized intervention that wards off harmful forces (seen as both physical poison and subtle affliction).