Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 11
Chapter 370: नरकनिरूपणम्
Naraka-nirūpaṇa) — Description of Hell (with the physiology of dying and the subtle transition
याम्यं मार्गं महाघोरं षडशीतिसहस्रकम् अन्नोदकं नीयमानो बान्धवैर् दत्तमश्नुते
yāmyaṃ mārgaṃ mahāghoraṃ ṣaḍaśītisahasrakam annodakaṃ nīyamāno bāndhavair dattamaśnute
Bị dẫn đi trên con đường của Diêm Vương—cực kỳ ghê rợn, dài tám mươi sáu nghìn do-tuần—người ấy, khi đang bị áp giải, thọ hưởng thức ăn và nước do thân quyến đã cúng dâng.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Supports śrāddha/udaka-dāna practice by stating that offerings by relatives become sustenance for the departed on the Yama-path.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Yāmya-mārga length and preta’s dependence on anna-udaka offerings","lookup_keywords":["yāmya-mārga","86000 yojana","anna-udaka","śrāddha","preta-yātrā"],"quick_summary":"The departed is led along the terrifying Yama-road said to span 86,000 yojanas, and he subsists on food and water offered by his kin—linking ritual giving to post-mortem welfare."}
Concept: Interdependence of the living and departed through dāna/śrāddha; ritual acts have trans-world efficacy.
Application: Perform timely śrāddha with anna and udaka offerings, and cultivate family responsibility (bandhu-dharma).
Khanda Section: Preta-yatra & Naraka-varnana (After-death journey; karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Pathway/Otherworld route
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A long, desolate otherworld road stretching to the horizon; the preta led by Yamadūtas, receiving small bowls of food and water symbolically sent by relatives performing śrāddha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; sweeping serpentine road labeled yāmya-mārga; Yamadūtas guiding a pale subtle figure; at one corner, a domestic śrāddha scene with offerings transforming into luminous anna-udaka flowing toward the traveler.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore; central procession on a gold-bordered path; stylized vessels of water and rice glowing; inset medallion of relatives offering piṇḍa and udaka; rich reds and greens with gold highlights.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore; didactic composition: top shows ‘86000 yojana’ as a long measured path; bottom shows śrāddha ritual and the offered food-water reaching the preta; fine ornament, calm but somber palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; panoramic landscape with an endless road; small figures in procession; a separate courtyard scene of relatives giving alms/offerings; delicate clouds and muted tones conveying dread."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अन्नोदकम् = अन्न-उदकम् (द्वन्द्व); बान्धवैर् = बान्धवैः (विसर्ग/रेफ्-सन्धि); दत्तम् + अश्नुते → दत्तमश्नुते (म् + अ)
Related Themes: Agni Purana sections on śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna, udaka-kriyā within the Preta–Yama-loka Vidhi sequence
FAQs
It conveys the Śrāddha-related principle that the departed, while being conducted on the Yama-path, can partake of (i.e., receive the benefit of) food and water offerings made by relatives.
Alongside theology, it preserves a detailed map of post-death cosmology (Yama-mārga with quantified distance) and links it to applied ritual practice (offerings by kin), combining metaphysics with household dharma.
It underscores intergenerational dharma: offerings made with faith become supportive provisions for the departed on a fearsome transitional journey, reinforcing the merit and necessity of ancestral rites.