Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 2
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
जातवेदोमुखैः सौरैर् इति ख रिपुं हरेदिति ङ , ञ च मत्तक्रुद्धातुराणां च न भुञ्जीत कदाचन महापातकिनां स्पृष्टं यच्च स्पृष्टमुदक्यया
jātavedomukhaiḥ saurair iti kha ripuṃ harediti ṅa , ña ca mattakruddhāturāṇāṃ ca na bhuñjīta kadācana mahāpātakināṃ spṛṣṭaṃ yacca spṛṣṭamudakyayā
«jātavedomukhaiḥ sauraiḥ»—وهذا هو زمرة الحروف kha؛ و«ripuṃ haret»—وهذه زمرتا الحروف ṅa وña. ولا ينبغي قطّ تناول طعامٍ يتصل بسكرانٍ أو غضبانٍ أو مبتلى بمرض؛ ولا (يؤكل) ما مسّه أصحاب الكبائر (mahāpātakin)، ولا ما مسّته امرأةٌ حائض (udakyā).
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Rules of purity in eating (avoid food linked to intoxicated/angry/sick persons, great sinners, and menstruating contact) alongside a brief phonetic/letter-group (varṇa-gaṇa) note used for mantra/recitation indexing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Āhāra-śauca niṣedha and varṇa-gaṇa note (kha, ṅa, ña)","lookup_keywords":["ācāra","aśauca food","udakyā","mahāpātakin","varṇa-gaṇa kha ṅa ña"],"quick_summary":"Maintain ritual purity by avoiding food touched/associated with impure states (intoxication, anger, illness, great sin, menstruation); the verse also preserves a mnemonic note on letter-groups (kha; ṅa/ña) tied to mantra phrasing."}
Concept: Ācāra (conduct) safeguards both ritual order and social health; purity rules regulate contact, food, and states considered disruptive to sāttvika living.
Application: Household and ritual practice: enforce food-handling boundaries and personal discipline; use phonetic mnemonics to preserve correct recitation/teaching lineages.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Achara: purity rules, food prohibitions, ritual cleanliness)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household meal setting where a dharma-teacher instructs disciples on what food to avoid; separate vignettes show intoxicated/angry/sick persons near food, a ‘mahāpātakin’ marked as impure, and a menstruating woman (udakyā) indicating contact-based restriction; alongside, a palm-leaf showing letter-groups kha, ṅa, ña as mnemonic notes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, didactic domestic scene with teacher and students, food vessels, side panels showing intoxication/anger/illness and avoidance gestures, palm-leaf with kha ṅa ña, calm earthy tones","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central teacher with gold halo-like emphasis (not divine), ornate vessels with gold highlights, clear separation of ‘avoid’ scenes, palm-leaf inscription kha ṅa ña in stylized script","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional layout: three ‘do not eat’ vignettes (mattā, kruddha, ātura), plus udakyā and mahāpātakin contact, and a neat phonetic chart kha/ṅa/ña on palm-leaf; fine lines and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed kitchen/courtyard, teacher pointing to food rules, small inset scenes of intoxicated man, angry man, sick person, and a woman in seclusion signifying menstruation; calligraphic kha ṅa ña on a folio"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जातवेदोमुखैः → जातवेदः + मुखैः; सौरैर् → सौरैः; हरेदिति → हरेत् + इति; यच्च → यत् + च; स्पृष्टमुदक्यया → स्पृष्टम् + उदक्यया.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (ācāra/prāyaścitta and mahāpātaka discussions continuing)
FAQs
It gives āhāra-śauca (food-purity) prohibitions—do not eat food connected with intoxicated/angry/sick persons or food contaminated by contact with mahāpātakins or an udakyā—alongside a brief phonetic/mantric labeling (kha, ṅa, ña) used in varṇa/mātṛkā-style recitation schemes.
The verse juxtaposes two domains: (1) technical phonetic/mantra classification (letter-group labels like kha/ṅa/ña) and (2) dharma-śāstric conduct about food contamination, showing how the Agni Purana compiles ritual, linguistic, and legal-ethical guidance in one continuum.
Avoiding ritually contaminated food is presented as preventing the transfer or accrual of impurity (aśauca/doṣa) and sin (pāpa), safeguarding one’s ritual fitness, merit (puṇya), and spiritual discipline.