Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 5
Vināyaka-snāna (The Vinayaka Bath) — Obstacle-Removal and Consecratory Bathing Rite
आचार्यत्वं श्रोत्रियश् च न शिष्यो ऽध्ययनं लभेत् धनी न लाभमाप्नोति न कृषिञ्च कृषीबलः
ācāryatvaṃ śrotriyaś ca na śiṣyo 'dhyayanaṃ labhet dhanī na lābhamāpnoti na kṛṣiñca kṛṣībalaḥ
แม้ผู้หนึ่งจะมีฐานะเป็นอาจารย์และเป็นศฺโรตริยะผู้รู้พระเวท ศิษย์ที่เหมาะสมก็อาจมิได้รับการศึกษาอันแท้จริงจากเขา ฉันใด คนมั่งคั่งก็มิได้กำไรเสมอไป และผู้มีเพียงกำลังกายก็หาได้สำเร็จในกสิกรรมไม่ฉันนั้น
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Assess competence by results and fitness (adhikara), not by titles, wealth, or mere strength; apply in education, hiring, and governance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Adhikara (fitness) as the cause of real attainment","lookup_keywords":["adhikara","acharya","shrotriya","phala","yogyata"],"quick_summary":"Mere status (teacher/scholar), wealth, or strength does not guarantee the intended fruit; true attainment depends on fitness, method, and proper conditions."}
Alamkara Type: Drishtanta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: Phala depends on yogyata (fitness) and right means, not on external markers.
Application: Choose teachers, students, and agents by demonstrated capability and proper preparation; cultivate eligibility through discipline and training.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Achara (Conduct, eligibility, and the fruits of competence)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Viveka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher with Vedic emblems sits before an unfit student; beside them, a rich merchant fails to profit and a strong man struggles in a field—three parallel vignettes showing that titles alone do not yield results.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, three-panel didactic scene: acharya and student in gurukula, merchant with coins and empty ledger, farmer with plough and oxen; earthy reds and ochres, bold outlines, traditional ornaments, calm instructive mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, triptych composition with gold leaf borders: guru and student, merchant with wealth, farmer in field; stylized figures, ornate frames, devotional-didactic tone, rich colors and embossed gold detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework and soft shading: sequential narrative panels illustrating competence vs mere status; clear gestures and labels, instructional clarity, muted palette with delicate ornamentation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtly classroom and market and agrarian vignette; precise textiles, architecture, and landscape; marginal notes feel; emphasis on realism and moral lesson."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: श्रोत्रियश् च → श्रोत्रियः + च; शिष्यो ऽध्ययनम् → शिष्यः + अध्ययनम्; लाभमाप्नोति → लाभम् + आप्नोति; कृषिञ्च → कृषिम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Achara/Rajadharma sections on adhikara, samskara, and phala; Agni Purana didactic verses using drishtanta-nyaya
FAQs
It teaches a practical principle of vidyā-transmission: titles (ācārya) and even Vedic learning (śrotriya) are insufficient unless the teacher can effectively impart adhyayana; similarly, wealth and strength do not guarantee results without the proper skill and method.
Alongside rituals and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves applied social wisdom—education theory, competence, and cause-and-effect in worldly pursuits—showing its broad, encyclopedic coverage of dharma and practical life.
It implies that dharma values inner fitness and right capability over external markers; choosing (and being) a truly competent teacher supports right conduct and right knowledge, which are karmically fruitful, while mere status without substance is spiritually unproductive.