Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 13
Chapter 116 — गयायात्राविधिः (Gayā-yātrā-vidhiḥ) | The Procedure for the Gayā Pilgrimage
पुष्करिण्यां कर्दमाले रामतीर्थे च पिण्डदः प्रभासेशन्नमेत् प्रेतशिलायां पिण्डदो भवेत्
puṣkariṇyāṃ kardamāle rāmatīrthe ca piṇḍadaḥ prabhāseśannamet pretaśilāyāṃ piṇḍado bhavet
ผู้ใดถวายปิณฑะที่ปุษกรินี ที่กรฺทมาล และที่รามตีรถะ แล้วนอบน้อมแด่พระประภาเสศวร ย่อมได้บุญเสมือนถวายปิณฑะ ณ เปรตศิลาเช่นกัน
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Performing piṇḍa-dāna at specified tīrthas and offering namaskāra at Prabhāsa to obtain equivalent śrāddha-merit associated with Pretaśilā.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Piṇḍa-dāna at Puṣkariṇī–Kardamāla–Rāma-tīrtha and merit of Pretaśilā","lookup_keywords":["piṇḍa-dāna","Puṣkariṇī","Kardamāla","Rāma-tīrtha","Prabhāseśa"],"quick_summary":"Piṇḍa-offering at Puṣkariṇī, Kardamāla, and Rāma-tīrtha, coupled with reverence to Prabhāseśa, yields the same fruit as piṇḍa-dāna at Pretaśilā."}
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā and pitṛ-kārya as dharmic means to transfer merit and fulfill ancestral obligations.
Application: Undertake śrāddha pilgrimage with prescribed stations; combine offering (dāna) with devotion (namaskāra) to complete the rite.
Khanda Section: Shraddha-vidhi (Pinda-dana and Tirtha-mahatmya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim performs piṇḍa-dāna beside a sacred tank (puṣkariṇī), then at forested/rocky tīrthas, finally offering namaskāra to Prabhāseśa; the merit is shown as a luminous link to Pretaśilā.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, sacred tank with lotus, brahmin pilgrim offering rice-balls on darbha, attendants holding kamaṇḍalu, distant shrine of Prabhāseśa with liṅga, warm earthy palette, stylized clouds and trees, devotional tīrtha-mahātmyā scene","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Prabhāseśa shrine with gold-leaf halo, foreground devotee offering piṇḍa on leaf-plate near a puṣkariṇī, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, embossed jewelry on attendant figures","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing step-by-step piṇḍa-dāna at a tank and at a rock-slab (Pretaśilā symbol), labeled tīrtha markers, soft washes, instructional composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape with water tank, pilgrims in white garments preparing piṇḍas, small temple of Prabhāseśa, fine architectural detail, subdued gold accents, narrative sequence in one frame"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रभासेशन्नमेत् = प्रभासे + ईशम् + नमेत् (सवर्णदीर्घ/संधि-समाससदृश संयोग).
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 116 (Śrāddha-vidhi, piṇḍa-dāna, tīrtha-mahātmyā sections)
FAQs
It prescribes śrāddha-related practice: offering piṇḍa at specified tirthas and performing namaskāra to Prabhāseśa, stating that these acts confer recognized ritual merit connected with preta/ancestor rites.
It functions as a tirtha-and-rite index: the text catalogs named sacred sites (Puṣkariṇī, Kardamāla, Rāma-tīrtha, Prabhāsa, Pretaśilā) and assigns concrete ritual outcomes, illustrating the Purana’s compendium-style mapping of geography, worship, and dharma-practice.
The verse emphasizes transferable spiritual merit (puṇya): by performing piṇḍa-offerings at these tirthas and honoring Prabhāseśa, one attains the same efficacy as performing the rite at Pretaśilā—supporting ancestral appeasement and purification of obligations to the departed.
Read Agni Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.