Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 28
Bala-graha-hara Bāla-tantram (बालग्रहहर बालतन्त्रम्) — Pediatric protection and graha-affliction management
मत्स्यमांससुराभक्तपुष्पगन्धादिभिर्बलिः सप्रमे तु निराहारा पूतिगन्धादिदन्तरुक्
matsyamāṃsasurābhaktapuṣpagandhādibhirbaliḥ saprame tu nirāhārā pūtigandhādidantaruk
bali（供献）可用鱼、肉、酒（surā）、熟食、花、香气等诸物而作。然为 saprame 之类所设者，应为无食之供：以恶臭之物等为主，并加入 ‘dantaruk’（辛烈刺咬之添加物）。
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Tantra","practical_application":"Pūjā-vidhi for bali/naivedya: specifies permissible offering substances (fish, meat, liquor, cooked food, flowers, fragrances) and a distinct class-specific offering (saprame) that is foodless and uses foul-smelling/pungent items, guiding ritual compliance and intended appeasement.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Bali–naivedya dravya-bheda: matsya-māṃsa-surā vs saprame nirāhāra bali","lookup_keywords":["bali","naivedya","matsya","surā","saprame"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates bali materials including fish, meat, liquor, food, flowers, and scents; also prescribes a special ‘saprame’ bali that is non-food and uses foul-smelling/pungent substances."}
Concept: Ritual efficacy is tied to correct dravya (substance) selection and adhikāra-bheda (class/context-specific rules).
Application: When performing bali, match offering type to the intended recipient/class and follow prescribed constraints (including when offerings must be non-edible).
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Bali–naivedya and ritual offerings)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual platform with multiple offering trays: fish, meat, liquor vessel, cooked food, flowers, perfumes; alongside a separate austere tray for ‘saprame’ with non-food, foul-smelling/pungent items; priest arranging items with strict separation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, temple courtyard bali-sthāna, priest in traditional attire, vivid trays of matsya-māṃsa-surā and floral scents, separate darker-toned saprame tray with pungent substances, stylized smoke of fragrance vs harsh odor cues.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold work on lamps and offering vessels, richly ornamented naivedya set with fish/meat/liquor, contrasting plain saprame offering plate without food, symmetrical composition, temple backdrop.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear labeled diagrammatic scene: two groups of offerings (standard vs saprame nirāhāra), fine linework on vessels and ingredients, instructional clarity over ornament.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life of offerings on carpets, priest and assistants arranging, careful depiction of liquor flask, fish and meat, flowers and perfume bottles, separate austere pungent tray, architectural niche background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ...आदिभिर् बलिः → ...आदिभिः बलिः (visarga/ru-sandhi). Final compound दन्तरुक् = दन्त + रुक्. Reading/segmentation of सप्रमे is textually uncertain; treated as स-प्रमे (locative).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 298 (bali prescriptions adjoining pediatric/omen material); Agni Purana (pūjā-vidhi sections elsewhere: naivedya, bali, dhūpa)
FAQs
It classifies acceptable substances for bali offerings (fish, meat, liquor, cooked food, flowers, perfumes, etc.) and specifies that the saprame-type bali is non-edible (nirāhāra), using foul-smelling/pungent substances as prescribed.
It preserves a precise ritual taxonomy—what materials are permitted for different classes of offerings—showing the Agni Purana functioning as a practical manual of worship procedure alongside its many other domains (law, polity, medicine, arts).
Correctly matching the offering’s substance to its prescribed category is presented as essential for ritual efficacy—supporting purification, appeasement, and the intended religious fruit of the rite, while avoiding improper or counterproductive offerings.