Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 7
Chapter 291 — Śāntyāyurveda
Ayurveda for Pacificatory Rites): Go-śānti, Penance-Regimens, and Therapeutics (incl. Veterinary Care
एकरात्रोपवासश् च श्वपाकमपि शोधयेत् सर्वाशुभविनाशाय पुराचीरतमीश्वरैः
ekarātropavāsaś ca śvapākamapi śodhayet sarvāśubhavināśāya purācīratamīśvaraiḥ
إن صيام ليلةٍ واحدةٍ يطهِّر حتى الـśvapāka (الذي تُعَدّه الأعراف الاجتماعية أشدَّ الناس نجاسة)؛ وقد شرعه السادة منذ القدم وسيلةً لإزالة كلِّ شؤمٍ ونحس.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"One-night upavāsa as a minimal prāyaścitta for removing aśubha and restoring ritual/social purity after impurity-contact or transgression.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ekarātra-upavāsa as Śuddhi (One-night fast for purification)","lookup_keywords":["ekarātra-upavāsa","śuddhi","prāyaścitta","śvapāka","aśubha-nāśa"],"quick_summary":"A single-night fast is taught as a powerful purifier, even for those considered highly impure by convention, and is framed as a general remedy for inauspiciousness."}
Concept: Tapas (self-restraint) functions as a purifier overriding conventional impurity when aligned with śāstric injunction.
Application: Use simple, accessible austerity (fasting) to reset conduct and ritual eligibility, coupled with resolve not to repeat the fault.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śuddhi-vidhi (Expiations and Purificatory Observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A restrained ascetic or householder sits on a simple mat at night, hands in añjali, with a water pot nearby; the mood is purification through one-night fasting, symbolically washing away dark aśubha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, a vrata-observer seated in padmāsana under a night sky, small kamandalu and lamp, subtle aura of śuddhi, minimal background, traditional ornament lines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure performing ekarātra-upavāsa with gold-leaf halo, lamp and kalasha, ornate border, symbolic dark cloud of aśubha dissolving, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework, instructional depiction of one-night fast: sunset-to-sunrise timeline motifs, simple household setting, calm face, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night courtyard with a fasting devotee, fine textiles and architecture, small oil lamp, attendants absent to emphasize solitude, detailed stars, subdued palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekarātropavāsaḥ = ekarātra-upavāsaḥ; śvapākamapi = śvapākam api; sarvāśubhavināśāya = sarva-aśubha-vināśāya; purācīratamīśvaraiḥ = purā ācīratam īśvaraiḥ
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Prāyaścitta-śuddhi sections (kṛcchra, sāntapana, upavāsa-vidhi)
FAQs
It teaches a prāyaścitta method: a single-night fast (ekarātra-upavāsa) as a purificatory observance capable of removing severe impurity/inauspiciousness.
It exemplifies the text’s practical dharma-content—cataloging concrete expiations and ritual remedies alongside other sciences—showing how the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of applied religious law and purification rites.
The verse asserts that disciplined fasting has strong purifying karmic efficacy, capable of destroying “all inauspiciousness” (sarvāśubha-vināśa) when undertaken as a sanctioned expiation.