Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 24
Chapter 109 — Tīrtha-mahātmya
The Glory of Sacred Pilgrimage Places
अवन्ती परमं तीर्थमयोध्या पापनाशनी नैमिषं परमं तीर्थं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकं
avantī paramaṃ tīrthamayodhyā pāpanāśanī naimiṣaṃ paramaṃ tīrthaṃ bhuktimuktipradāyakaṃ
อวันตีเป็นทีรถะสูงสุด; อโยธยาเป็นผู้ทำลายบาป ไนมิษะเป็นทีรถะสูงสุด ผู้ประทานทั้งความสุขทางโลกและโมกษะ
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Guidance for selecting high-merit tīrthas (Avantī, Ayodhyā, Naimiṣa) for sin-removal and for attaining both worldly welfare and liberation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Avantī–Ayodhyā–Naimiṣa: Supreme Tīrthas and Their Fruits","lookup_keywords":["Avanti Ujjaini","Ayodhya papanashini","Naimisha","bhukti mukti","tirtha phala"],"quick_summary":"Declares three foremost sacred places and specifies their fruits: sin-destruction and the granting of bhukti and mukti. Serves as a practical tīrtha-phala note for pilgrimage intent (saṅkalpa)."}
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā as a means to pāpa-kṣaya and to the dual goals of bhukti (well-being) and mukti (liberation).
Application: Setting pilgrimage intention: combine external yātrā with internal restraint, charity, and japa to align bhukti with dharma and orient toward mukti.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha/City/Forest-region
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three sacred locales presented as emblematic vignettes: Avantī with a prominent temple and ghāṭa; Ayodhyā with royal city gates and a sacred riverbank; Naimiṣa forest with a circle of sages reciting, suggesting bhukti-mukti blessings descending.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural triptych: Avantī temple and river steps, Ayodhyā city with banners, Naimiṣa forest with seated ṛṣis; stylized halos and decorative foliage; inscriptions of ‘pāpanāśinī’ and ‘bhukti-mukti-pradā’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Naimiṣa sages with gold halos and ornate border; side panels of Avantī and Ayodhyā with gold-leaf temple towers and city architecture; rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic three-panel composition with clear architectural cues: Ujjain/Avantī shrine, Ayodhyā cityscape, Naimiṣa forest āśrama; fine outlines and calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed urban Ayodhyā scene, riverside Avantī, and wooded Naimiṣa with ascetics; delicate figures, refined landscape perspective, calligraphic captions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तीर्थमयोध्या = तीर्थम् + अयोध्या (m + a sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 109 (tīrtha-yātrā māhātmya); Agni Purana 110 (Gaṅgā-māhātmya continues the theme of bhukti-mukti)
FAQs
It conveys tirtha-vidhi in essence by identifying specific pilgrimage sites and their stated fruits: sin-destruction (Ayodhyā) and the dual result of bhukti and mukti (Naimiṣa), guiding where to undertake tīrtha-yātrā for desired outcomes.
By cataloging renowned tirthas and assigning distinct spiritual results to each, it functions as a compact sacred-geography index—one of the Agni Purana’s many knowledge domains alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and aesthetics.
The verse teaches that contact with certain tirthas is karmically transformative: Ayodhyā is framed as pāpa-nāśinī (sin-destroying), while Naimiṣa is praised as granting both worldly welfare (bhukti) and final release (mukti).
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