Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 29
अध्याय ११५ — गयायात्राविधिः
Procedure for the Pilgrimage to Gayā
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि आसमुद्रात्सरांसि च फल्गुतीर्थं गमिष्यन्ति वारमेकं दिने दिने
pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni āsamudrātsarāṃsi ca phalgutīrthaṃ gamiṣyanti vāramekaṃ dine dine
บรรดาตีรถะทั้งหลายบนแผ่นดิน และสระบึงทั้งปวงจนถึงมหาสมุทร ย่อมมุ่งมาสู่ฟัลคุตีรถะวันแล้ววันเล่า วันละหนึ่งครั้ง
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Cultivates faith in tīrtha-centrality: motivates pilgrimage by portraying Phalgu as the daily confluence-point of all tīrthas and waters.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Phalgu as daily gathering-point of all tīrthas","lookup_keywords":["all tirthas come","Phalgu supremacy","asamudra","saramsi","daily confluence"],"quick_summary":"The verse poetically states that all earthly tīrthas and waters up to the ocean ‘arrive’ at Phalgu daily, expressing its status as a supreme confluence of sanctity."}
Alamkara Type: Atiśayokti (hyperbole) and Personification (tīrthas ‘go’/‘come’)
Concept: Sacred geography is networked; a ‘tīrtha-rāja’ can be conceived as containing the merit of many places.
Application: For limited time/resources, prioritize a reputed tīrtha-rāja pilgrimage as a dharma-efficient substitute for many journeys.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic map-like vision: many rivers, lakes, and ocean-waters personified as streams or deities moving toward Phalgu, converging at Gayā in a daily rhythm (sunrise/sunset).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, personified rivers as graceful female figures carrying water pots, moving in procession toward Phalgu, layered landscape bands, cosmic feel with sun disc marking ‘daily’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Phalgu confluence with gold-highlighted waves, surrounding small vignettes of other tīrthas sending streams inward, ornate border and inscriptions.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic yet artistic: labeled rivers/lakes flowing toward Phalgu, gentle colors, instructional sacred-geography aesthetic.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, panoramic landscape from mountains to ocean, multiple waterways depicted, all subtly bending toward a central riverbank at Gayā, fine detail and cartographic charm."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Sandhi: आसमुद्रात्सरांसि = आ-समुद्रात् सरांसि. Compound: फल्गुतीर्थम् = फल्गु-तीर्थम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 115 (tīrtha-rāja framing)
FAQs
It conveys a tīrtha-māhātmya principle: Phalgu Tīrtha is portrayed as a daily convergence-point of all other tīrthas and waters, implying that worship, bathing, or offerings there are ritually equivalent to visiting many pilgrimage sites.
By cataloging sacred geography (tīrtha networks and their relative potency), it adds a practical pilgrimage-theology layer alongside the Agni Purana’s broader subjects—ritual procedure, dharma, and other applied knowledges.
The verse asserts extraordinary puṇya and purification at Phalgu Tīrtha: access to the merit of many tīrthas is concentrated there regularly, making it a highly efficacious site for cleansing sin and accruing religious merit.
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