Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 6
Ācāra
Right Conduct
तीर्थतोयं ततः पुण्यं गाङ्गं पुण्यन्तु सर्वतः संशोधितमलः पूर्वं निमग्नश् च जलाशये
tīrthatoyaṃ tataḥ puṇyaṃ gāṅgaṃ puṇyantu sarvataḥ saṃśodhitamalaḥ pūrvaṃ nimagnaś ca jalāśaye
لہٰذا تیرتھ کا پانی پُنیہ بخش ہے، اور گنگا جل ہر سمت سے پاک کرنے والا ہے۔ پہلے میل و آلودگی کو دور کر کے پھر کسی آبی ذخیرے میں غوطہ لگانا چاہیے۔
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Prioritizes tīrtha-water and especially Gaṅgā-water for purification; prescribes sequence: remove impurities first, then immerse in a water-body for snāna.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Tīrtha-snāna: Gaṅgā-jala supremacy and immersion protocol","lookup_keywords":["tīrtha-toya","gaṅgā-jala","śodhitamala","nimajjana","jalāśaya"],"quick_summary":"Tīrtha-water is meritorious, and Gaṅgā-water is universally purifying. One should first cleanse impurities and then perform full immersion in a reservoir for effective ritual bathing."}
Concept: External purification (mala-śodhana, snāna) supports inner readiness for worship; sacred geography amplifies sādhanā through tīrtha-sevā.
Application: Before immersion, perform preliminary cleansing (remove dirt/sweat, basic śauca), then do nimajjana with focused intention in a tīrtha—ideally Gaṅgā when accessible.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya and Snana-Vidhi (Pilgrimage merit and bathing rites)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims at a tīrtha performing preliminary cleansing and then full immersion; Gaṅgā is depicted as a majestic river with sacred aura, ghats, and ritual vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, broad Gaṅgā river with stylized waves, pilgrims performing nimajjana, a luminous sacred aura over the water, ghat steps and trees, traditional flat perspective and rich pigments","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Gaṅgā at a ghat with gold-leaf shimmer on water and halos, devotees immersing with folded hands, ornate temple elements at the bank, saturated blues and reds","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional sequence: cleansing at the bank then immersion, neat ghat architecture, soft palette, emphasis on ritual implements and posture","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling ghat scene with detailed crowd, river flowing diagonally, pilgrims bathing and immersing, fine architectural and textile detail, subtle sacred symbolism around the river"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Ganga Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"devotional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तीर्थतोयम् = तीर्थ + तोयम्; पुण्यन्तु = पुण्यम् + तु; निमग्नश् च = निमग्नः + च; जलाशये = जल + आशये.
Related Themes: Agni Purana tīrtha-mahātmya passages; snāna-vidhi and śauca prerequisites in the same chapter cluster
FAQs
It gives snāna-vidhi: regard tīrtha-water as meritorious, recognize Gaṅgā-jala as universally purifying, and perform immersion after first removing bodily impurity.
Alongside theology and praise, it preserves practical dharma-instructions on ritual purity—how and where to bathe, and why certain waters (especially Gaṅgā) are treated as uniquely purificatory.
It frames bathing in tīrthas—particularly with Gaṅgā-water—as a means of removing mala (impurity) and accruing puṇya (merit), supporting karmic purification through disciplined ritual action.