Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 6
Chapter 230: शकुनानि (Śakunāni) — Omens
यस्यां स्थितः सा ज्वलिता मुक्ता चाङ्गारिणी मता एतास्तिस्रः स्मृता दीप्ताः पञ्च शान्तास् तथापराः
yasyāṃ sthitaḥ sā jvalitā muktā cāṅgāriṇī matā etāstisraḥ smṛtā dīptāḥ pañca śāntās tathāparāḥ
其所安住之火称为“jvalitā”（炽燃）；当其脱离而出，则被认为是“aṅgāriṇī”（余烬炭火）。此三者被忆持为“dīptāḥ”（明炽）之相；同样另有五种“śāntāḥ”（寂静安和）之相。
Lord Agni (narrating to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tantra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Classify fire states (especially for ritual/technical use) into ‘bright’ and ‘calm’ modes, distinguishing contained blazing fire from released embering fire; apply appropriate handling/ritual response and śānti when needed.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Vahni-bheda: Dīpta-traya and Śānta-pañcaka (States of Fire)","lookup_keywords":["vahni-bheda","jvalitā","aṅgāriṇī","dīpta","śānta"],"quick_summary":"Fire is categorized by state: ‘jvalitā’ when abiding/contained, ‘aṅgāriṇī’ when released as embers; three states are grouped as ‘bright’ and five as ‘calm’. This supports ritual and practical fire-management by state-recognition."}
Concept: Agni-tattva is approached through lakṣaṇa (observable states) and bheda (classification), enabling correct ritual engagement and safe handling.
Application: In homa/household fire use, identify whether fire is ‘contained’ (jvalitā) or ‘released’ (aṅgāriṇī/embers) and respond with appropriate tending, containment, or pacification measures.
Khanda Section: Agneya-vidya (Agni-tattva / Vahni-bheda—types and states of fire)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual fire altar with a contained steady flame labeled jvalitā, and a nearby bed of glowing embers labeled aṅgāriṇī; a sage enumerates bright vs calm categories on a palm-leaf list.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, homa-kuṇḍa with stylized flames; split depiction: contained flame within altar and scattered embers outside; sage counting categories with fingers; bold outlines, deep reds and ochres.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, homa scene with priest and altar; gold foil highlights on flames; embers rendered with textured red-gold dots; decorative border; palm-leaf manuscript showing ‘dīpta 3 / śānta 5’.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional fire-state chart: two fire depictions (contained vs released embers) with labels jvalitā/aṅgāriṇī; calm vs bright grouping shown as a neat list; soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, indoor ritual pavilion with brazier; one side shows steady flame, other side glowing embers being managed with tongs; attendants and scholar noting classifications; fine detail and subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: cāṅgāriṇī → ca aṅgāriṇī; etāstisraḥ → etāḥ tisraḥ; śāntās tathāparāḥ → śāntāḥ tathā aparāḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Agneya-vidyā passages on agni-tattva and ritual fire handling; Agni Purana śānti-prakaraṇa (appeasement rites) where ‘dīpta’ vs ‘śānta’ conditions matter
FAQs
It gives a technical taxonomy of fire-states used in ritual/technical discussions—distinguishing ‘blazing’ (jvalitā) and ‘embering/coal-bearing’ (aṅgāriṇī), and indicating a broader scheme of three ‘bright’ (dīpta) and five ‘calm’ (śānta) conditions.
By cataloguing precise operational states of Agni (fire) in a systematic way—like a handbook—this verse exemplifies the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic method of organizing practical knowledge relevant to ritual procedure, domestic fire-use, and technical classifications.
Correctly recognizing and employing the appropriate ‘state of fire’ supports proper ritual performance (yajña/ homa discipline), which is traditionally linked with purification and the accrual of religious merit through accurate observance.