Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
यजेत वाश्वमेधेन स्वर्जिता गोसवेन वा जपन्वान्यतमं वेदं योजनानां शतं ब्रजेत्
yajeta vāśvamedhena svarjitā gosavena vā japanvānyatamaṃ vedaṃ yojanānāṃ śataṃ brajet
ينبغي أن يُقيم القربان بطقس الأشفاميدها (Aśvamedha)؛ أو، طلبًا للفردوس، بطقس الغوسافا (Gosava)؛ أو، وهو يتلو أيًّا من الفيدات، أن يقطع مسافة مئة يوجانا.
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Lists alternative expiatory equivalences: major sacrifices, a specific rite (gosava), or long-distance pilgrimage while reciting Veda—used to calibrate penance to capacity and context.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Prāyaścitta Equivalences: Aśvamedha, Gosava, Veda-japa with Yātrā","lookup_keywords":["aśvamedha","gosava","veda-japa","yojana","prāyaścitta"],"quick_summary":"The verse provides graded options for expiation/merit: performing great rites or undertaking a disciplined Vedic recitation while traveling a prescribed distance."}
Concept: Karma-śuddhi through yajña, vrata, and śruti-japa; multiple valid paths scaled by ability.
Application: Encourages substitutive penances: if one cannot perform grand śrauta rites, one may adopt disciplined recitation and pilgrimage as an accessible expiation.
Khanda Section: Dharma–Prāyaścitta (Expiations and equivalences of merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual scene of a grand horse-sacrifice juxtaposed with a wandering Veda-reciter traveling long distances; the verse visually suggests alternative routes to purification—yajña, rite, and pilgrimage with chanting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split-panel narrative: left shows aśvamedha altar with stylized horse and priests; right shows a brahmin traveler with palm-leaf manuscript chanting, walking a long road with sacred trees, decorative borders and flat color fields","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central yajña-kunda with gold embossing, horse motif with ornate trappings, secondary vignette of a chanting pilgrim, gold highlights on ritual vessels, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: three options depicted in sequence—(1) aśvamedha, (2) gosava rite with cow symbolism, (3) Veda-japa traveler with distance markers; fine linework and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly sacrificial pavilion with detailed textiles and priests, then a landscape road scene with a solitary reciter; meticulous architecture and perspective, subdued but elegant colors"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vā + aśvamedhena → vāśvamedhena; japan + vā + anyatamam → japanvānyatamam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: yajña descriptions (aśvamedha-related passages); Agni Purana: japa and vrata sections
FAQs
It lists high-merit Vedic options—Aśvamedha, the Gosava rite, and a disciplined journey undertaken while reciting a Veda—presented as powerful merit-producing observances.
It compresses multiple domains of dharma practice—śrauta sacrifice (Aśvamedha), specialized Vedic rite (Gosava), and vow-like religious travel with Vedic recitation—showing the text’s catalog-style coverage of ritual and expiation themes.
The verse emphasizes that extraordinary ritual merit (svarga-oriented fruit) can be pursued through major sacrifices or through disciplined recitation and pilgrimage-like effort, highlighting karmic purification through sanctioned Vedic means.