Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 5
Ācāra
Right Conduct
भूमिष्ठमुद्धृतात् पुण्यं ततः प्रस्रवणोदकं ततो ऽपि सारसं पुण्यं तस्मान्नादेयमुच्यते
bhūmiṣṭhamuddhṛtāt puṇyaṃ tataḥ prasravaṇodakaṃ tato 'pi sārasaṃ puṇyaṃ tasmānnādeyamucyate
停留于地面的水，比汲取上来的水（如井水等）更具功德；胜于此者为天然泉水；更胜者为湖水。因此说，此类之水不应被弃为不净不堪。
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for selecting acceptable/meritorious water for snāna and ritual use; establishes a hierarchy of water sources and discourages rejecting certain natural waters.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Puṇya-jala-tāratamya: hierarchy of water sources","lookup_keywords":["puṇya-jala","bhūmi-stha","prasravaṇa-udaka","sārasa","nādeya"],"quick_summary":"The verse ranks waters by ritual merit: ground-collected water, then spring water, then lake water as increasingly meritorious. Such waters are declared acceptable and not to be rejected for sacred use."}
Concept: Sacrality can inhere in natural sources; dharma provides graded choices when ideal resources are unavailable.
Application: When choosing water for snāna/ācamanīya, prefer natural sources per the hierarchy; do not dismiss lake/spring water as unfit merely by convention.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Waters and Sources of Merit)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A comparative tableau of water sources: a small ground pool, a bubbling spring, and a serene lake, each labeled with increasing merit; a ritual practitioner accepts the water respectfully.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, three horizontal bands: ground water puddle, spring emerging from rock, lotus lake; a devotee with kamaṇḍalu collecting water; stylized flora and sacred ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central lotus lake with gold highlights, side medallions showing spring and ground pool, devotee holding a water vessel, ornate border and rich blues/greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic chart-like scene with neat labels for each water type, gentle shading, emphasis on clarity of sources and collection method","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, naturalistic landscape with spring and lake, detailed water reflections, figure collecting water with brass pot, fine calligraphic labels indicating hierarchy"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भूमिष्ठमुद्धृतात् = भूमिष्ठम् + उद्धृतात्; ततो 'पि = ततः + अपि; तस्मान्नादेयमुच्यते = तस्मात् + न + आदेयम् + उच्यते.
Related Themes: Agni Purana tīrtha-mahātmya and snāna-vidhi passages (same khanda context)
FAQs
It gives a practical hierarchy of water-sources for purification and ritual use, ranking naturally available waters (spring, lake) as especially purifying and instructing that such water should not be rejected as unfit.
By cataloging nuanced dharma-ritual standards—here, the gradation of waters for purity—the Agni Purana functions like a compendium of applied religious practice alongside its many other subjects.
Using (and not disparaging) highly meritorious natural waters is presented as a means of enhanced purification and accumulation of puṇya, supporting auspicious outcomes in rites and personal sanctification.