Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 29
Śrāddha-kalpa-kathana
Exposition of the Śrāddha Procedure
मृताहनि च कर्तव्यं प्रतिमासन्तु वत्सरं प्रतिसंवत्सरं कार्यं श्राद्धं वै मासिकान्नवत्
mṛtāhani ca kartavyaṃ pratimāsantu vatsaraṃ pratisaṃvatsaraṃ kāryaṃ śrāddhaṃ vai māsikānnavat
মৃত্যুর দিনেই কর্ম করা উচিত; তারপর এক বছর পর্যন্ত প্রতি মাসে তা করা উচিত। এরপর প্রতি বছর শ্রাদ্ধ করতে হবে, এবং বার্ষিক শ্রাদ্ধ মাসিক অন্ন-অর্ঘ্যের বিধিতেই সম্পন্ন হবে।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Scheduling and standardizing post-death śrāddha observances: immediate (death-day), monthly for one year, then annual—performed in the same procedural pattern as the monthly anna-offering.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śrāddha-kāla: death-day, monthly (saṁvatsara), and annual śrāddha sequence","lookup_keywords":["mṛtāhani śrāddha","māsika śrāddha","saṁvatsara śrāddha","pratyabda śrāddha","anna-vidhi"],"quick_summary":"Perform śrāddha on the day of death, then monthly for a year, and thereafter annually; the annual rite follows the same food-offering pattern as the monthly śrāddha."}
Concept: Pitṛ-ṛṇa (debt to ancestors) is discharged through time-bound, repeated śrāddha observances.
Application: Maintain a calendar of mṛtāha, māsika for 12 months, then yearly tithi-based śrāddha; keep procedure consistent with māsika anna-vidhi.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha-vidhi (Pitṛkārya / Funeral and Ancestor Rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder performs śrāddha: offering cooked rice-balls/food and water with darbha grass, with a ritual calendar indicating death-day, monthly rites for a year, and annual repetition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a gṛhastha in white dhoti performing pitṛ-tarpaṇa before a small altar with darbha and piṇḍa, stylized calendar motifs showing monthly and annual cycles, serene solemn mood","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on ritual vessels and halo-like aureole behind the ancestral symbols, detailed brass plates with anna offerings, priest guiding the rite, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional composition: three panels—death-day śrāddha, monthly śrāddha, annual śrāddha—each with labeled offerings and posture, soft pastel background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly domestic interior, meticulous utensils and textiles, a Brahmin reciting while the patron offers anna and water, marginalia-like calendar notes for monthly and yearly observance"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रति-मासम् + तु → प्रतिमासन्तु (anusvāra/saṃdhi in transmission); मासिकान्नवत् = मासिक-अन्न-वत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 163 (Śrāddha-vidhi context: māsika/pratyabda rules)
FAQs
It prescribes the śrāddha schedule: perform rites on the day of death, then monthly for one year, and thereafter annually, with the annual rite modeled on the monthly food-offering procedure.
It functions as a practical dharma-ritual handbook entry, giving a precise calendar for post-death observances—one of the many applied topics (rites, law, conduct) that make the Agni Purana a compendium of lived religious practice.
By maintaining the prescribed śrāddha sequence, the family fulfills pitṛ-duty (pitṛṛṇa), supports the departed’s onward journey, and sustains ancestral satisfaction (pitṛ-tṛpti), which is traditionally linked to purification and merit for the performers.