Agnitīrtha (Abhishṭuta’s yajña)

Agnitīrtha · agni-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of Agni”

Agni Tīrtha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Agni Tīrtha.

Agnitīrtha, also named Āgneya, is the place on the Gautamī (the Godāvarī) where the aśvamedha of King Abhishṭuta was completed with amṛta offered into the fire, and where Agni, satisfied by the unbroken stream of offerings, was pleased with the king. It is one of six tīrthas that arose from that yajña: Bhānutīrtha, Tvāshṭra, Māheśvara, Aindra, Yāmya and Āgneya, which Brahmā names together as destroyers of all pāpas. Agnitīrtha gives the same fruit as an aśvamedha. Brahmā tells Nārada its account in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa.

Sūrya gives the yajña ground

There was a king of very pleasing appearance named Abhishṭuta, who began to honour the devas with an aśvamedha. Sixteen ṛtvijas served at the yajña, led by Vasishṭha and Atri. A doubt arose among them: when a brāhmaṇa takes dīkshā, the king prepares the yajña ground, but when the king himself takes dīkshā, who shall prepare the vedi? For a brāhmaṇa to do it would be a pāpa.

Vasishṭha, the best of the knowers of dharma, said that Sūrya should be asked, for he is the divine kshatriya. The king should pray: “O Savitṛ, prepare for me the yajña ground fit for the devas. You are the divine kshatriya, ruler of living beings. Namaskāra to you.” Abhishṭuta prayed with faith to Sūrya, Ravi, who is one with Hari, Śiva and Brahmā, and Savitṛ said, “I shall give.” The place where Sūrya came to grant the yajña ground is Bhānutīrtha.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98

The daityas are driven off

When the aśvamedha had begun, daityas and dānavas came in the guise of brāhmaṇas, chanting like the Sāman singers, and entered unchecked. Some mocked the ladle and vessels, the yūpa, the Sāman, the Soma, the havis, the priests and the king; others threw the yajña articles about; others laughed. Only Viśvarūpa knew them, and he told his father Tvashṭṛ, “These are the daityas.” Tvashṭṛ told the devas to sprinkle water with kuśa grass all round, saying, “All who censure the holy yajña, the ladle, the vessel and the Soma have been removed by me.” The devas and Tvashṭṛ did so, and the daityas were burned and crippled and fled. That place is Tvāshṭra Tīrtha. Yama slew the fallen daityas with the Kāladaṇḍa, the Kālapāśa and the cakra, and that place is Yāmya.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98

Agni is pleased

The yajña was completed with amṛta offered into the fire. In that great yajña Agni was satisfied by the unbroken stream (of ghee), poured like a flight of arrows, and he was pleased with Abhishṭuta. The place where the yajña was completed is known as Agnitīrtha, and it yields the same fruit as an aśvamedha.

Indra, with the Maruts, told the king that he would become the emperor of both worlds and Indra’s lasting friend; one who offers water libations in the Indratīrtha is the most blessed in the mortal world, and tarpaṇa for the pitṛs is to be offered especially in the Yamatīrtha. The king worshipped Maheśvara with Vedic mantras and other stotras, dance, song and music, pañcāmṛta, namaskāras and pradakshiṇas, incense, lights, flowers, scents and naivedya, and the rulers of the devas granted him bhukti and moksha. That tīrtha is Māheśvara, also called Śaiva and Vaishṇava.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98

The phala

In this holy place there are a hundred tīrthas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98