Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 14
प्रयागमाहात्म्यम्
The Greatness of Prayāga
कोटीतीर्थञ्चाश्वमेधं गङ्गायमुनमुत्तमं मानसं रजसा हीनं तीर्थं वासरकं परं
koṭītīrthañcāśvamedhaṃ gaṅgāyamunamuttamaṃ mānasaṃ rajasā hīnaṃ tīrthaṃ vāsarakaṃ paraṃ
โกฏีทีรถะ อัศวเมธทีรถะ สังฆมอันประเสริฐแห่งคงคา‑ยมุนา มานสทีรถะอันปราศจากมลทินแห่งรชัส และวาสรกทีรถะอันสูงสุด—ทั้งหมดนี้ได้รับการประกาศว่าเป็นทีรถะสำคัญยิ่ง।
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana teachings to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Use as a checklist of eminent Prayāga-region tīrthas to visit in sequence; structure snāna, japa, and dāna across multiple sub-sites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Eminent Prayāga tīrthas: Koṭitīrtha, Aśvamedha, Saṅgama, Mānasatīrtha, Vāsaraka","lookup_keywords":["Koṭitīrtha","Aśvamedha-tīrtha","Gaṅgā-Yamunā-saṅgama","Mānasatīrtha","Vāsaraka-tīrtha"],"quick_summary":"A catalog of major holy fords associated with Prayāga, including the confluence and named sub-tīrthas, with Mānasatīrtha praised as free from rajas (impurity)."}
Concept: Purity (rajas-rahitatva) and merit are intensified through tīrtha-saṅgraha—visiting multiple sanctified nodes with disciplined conduct.
Application: Adopt a yātrā-vrata: cleanliness, restraint, japa, and dāna while moving through the listed tīrthas.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merits)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sacred itinerary map showing labeled tīrtha stations—Koṭitīrtha, Aśvamedha-tīrtha, the Saṅgama, Mānasatīrtha (radiant and ‘pure’), and Vāsaraka—connected by a pilgrim path.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized sacred map with five tīrtha nodes, each with emblematic icon (confluence waves, yajña symbol for Aśvamedha), pilgrims walking, ornate frame","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central confluence with gold aura, surrounding medallions naming Koṭitīrtha/Aśvamedha/Mānasa/Vāsaraka, embossed gold details","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic yet artistic route plan of the five tīrthas, clear labels, gentle colors, emphasis on instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bird’s-eye riverscape with labeled stations and small ritual scenes at each stop, fine detailing of terrain and water"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कोटीतीर्थञ्चाश्वमेधम् → कोटीतीर्थम् + च + अश्वमेधम्; गङ्गायमुनमुत्तमम् → गङ्गायमुनम् + उत्तमम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 111 (Prayāga-māhātmya)
FAQs
It transmits tīrtha-smaraṇa/ tīrtha-mahātmya knowledge—identifying specific pilgrimage sites (tīrthas) whose visitation or remembrance is treated as purifying and merit-generating within Purāṇic ritual culture.
By cataloging named sacred places (Koṭitīrtha, Aśvamedha-tīrtha, Gaṅgā–Yamunā, Mānasa, Vāsaraka), it preserves a compact gazetteer of pilgrimage geography—one of the Agni Purāṇa’s hallmark encyclopedic domains alongside ritual, dharma, and other sciences.
The verse frames these tīrthas as exceptionally pure—explicitly describing Mānasa as ‘free from rajas’—implying strong cleansing of impurity and accumulation of puṇya through pilgrimage or reverent remembrance.