RENUKA PANCHAL renupanchal111@gmail.com
University of Mumbai
MADHAVI NARSALAY madhavinarsalay@yahoo.com
University of Mumbai
FLORA AND FAUNA IN THE LUNAR VRATA CYCLE OF THE AGNIPURĀṆA: A PHILOLOGICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY
This paper examines the role and significance of botanical and faunal elements in the tithi-based vrata cycle described in chapters 176 to 194 of the Agni Purāṇa. Through these vratas, all kinds of desires are fulfilled.[1] Through a close philological reading, it catalogues botanical elements such as tila, vacā, kuṣṭha, śaileya, rajanīdruma, mustā, and ritual flora including mallikā, aśoka, kamala, kundā, and bilva, alongside animal references such as go, vṛṣabha, and nāga figures like Vāsuki, Takṣaka, and Kāliya. The prescriptions associated with specific tithis – including dvitīyā, tṛtīyā, pañcamī, aṣṭamī, and dvādaśī suggest a patterned correlation between lunar temporality and natural substances. While foundational studies on Purāṇicliterature by Ludo Rocher and R. C. Hazra, and ritual analyses by Frits Staal and Axel Michaels have illuminated textual and ritual structures, the ecological dimensions of vrata prescriptions remain insufficiently explored. The vrata prescriptions in the Agnipurāṇa follow a highly structured pattern, confirming that “ritual is activity governed by rules.”[2] Furthermore The inclusion of diverse ritual materials such as botanical and faunal elements reflects the fact that “the Purāṇas are encyclopedic in nature.”[3] Recent work by Suruchi Pande, particularly Flora, Fauna and Nature Conservation Values in Indian Culture, further highlights the cultural and ritual significance of plant and animal life within Indic traditions.
[1] vakṣye pratipadādīni vratānyakhiladāni te (AgP 176,1)
[2] Staal, Frits. 1989. Rules Without Meaning: Ritual, Mantras and the Human Sciences, p. 3. New York: Peter Lang.
[3] Rocher, Ludo. 1986. The Purāṇas, p. 2. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.