Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 5

Vishahṛn Mantrauṣadham (Poison-Removing Mantra and Medicinal Remedy) — Colophon and Transition

Devanagari script

चूर्णितैर् मेषदुग्धाक्तैर् धूपः सर्वविषापहः रोमनिर्गुण्डिकाकोकवर्णैर् वा लशुनं समं

Transliteration

cūrṇitair meṣadugdhāktair dhūpaḥ sarvaviṣāpahaḥ romanirguṇḍikākokavarṇair vā laśunaṃ samaṃ

Translation

Hương xông (dhūpa) chế từ các dược liệu nghiền mịn, làm ẩm bằng sữa cừu, có công năng trừ mọi loại độc. Hoặc có thể dùng hỗn hợp roma, nirguṇḍikā và kokavarṇa, trộn đồng lượng với tỏi.

Word by Word

• cūrṇitaiḥ: with powdered (ingredients)
• cūrṇitaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cūrṇita (कृदन्त; √cūrṇ/cūrṇay धातु)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन), Neuter/Masculine agreement as adjective; Past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally = 'powdered'

• meṣa-dugdha-āktaiḥ: with (things) smeared with sheep’s milk
• meṣa-dugdha-āktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: meṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dugdha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākta (कृदन्त; √añj धातु, क्त)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); compound: meṣasya dugdham (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + tena ākta (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष sense) = 'smeared with sheep’s milk'

• dhūpaḥ: fumigation / incense-smoke
• dhūpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarva-viṣa-apahaḥ: remover of all poisons
• sarva-viṣa-apahaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of dhūpaḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; compound: sarvāṇi viṣāṇi (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष sense) + apaha 'remover' (उपपद-तत्पुरुष) = 'removing all poisons'

• roma-nirguṇḍikā-koka-varṇaiḥ: with (ingredients) of the color of roma, nirguṇḍikā, and koka
• roma-nirguṇḍikā-koka-varṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: roma (प्रातिपदिक) + nirguṇḍikā (प्रातिपदिक) + koka (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; compound indicating 'having the color of' (varṇa) like roma/nirguṇḍikā/koka (comparative/specifying members)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (विकल्पार्थक अव्यय) = 'or'

• laśunam: garlic
• laśunam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laśuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• samam: equal (amount)
• samam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of laśunam / measure
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; used adverbially/qualitatively = 'equal (in quantity)'

Speaker

Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic instruction style)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: cūrṇitair meṣadugdhāktair: -aiḥ endings before following word; sarvaviṣāpahaḥ = sarva+viṣa+apahaḥ; romanirguṇḍikākokavarṇair = roma+nirguṇḍikā+koka+varṇaiḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Agni Purana
• Dhūpa (fumigation)
• Meṣa-dugdha (sheep’s milk)
• Nirguṇḍī (Vitex negundo)
• Laśuna (garlic)
• Viṣa (poison)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches a viṣāpaha (anti-poison) dhūpa: medicinal fumigation made from powders moistened with sheep’s milk, and an alternative formula using roma–nirguṇḍikā–kokavarṇa with garlic in equal measure.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Beyond mythology, the text preserves applied Ayurveda—especially toxicology—by listing practical materia medica recipes (drug names, carriers like milk, proportions, and delivery method via fumigation).

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By prescribing purification through dhūpa that ‘removes poison,’ the verse frames healing as a protective, purificatory act—restoring bodily and environmental purity, which supports dharmic living and ritual fitness.