Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 23
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
भुक्त्वापीत्वा तथा तेषां षड्रात्रेण विशुद्ध्यति अन्त्यानां भुक्तशेषन्तु भक्षयित्वा द्विजातयः
bhuktvāpītvā tathā teṣāṃ ṣaḍrātreṇa viśuddhyati antyānāṃ bhuktaśeṣantu bhakṣayitvā dvijātayaḥ
তাদের সঙ্গে সংশ্লিষ্ট অন্ন বা পানীয় খেয়ে-পেয়ে ছয় রাত্রিতে শুদ্ধি হয়। কিন্তু যদি দ্বিজাতি অন্ত্যজদের ভুক্তশিষ্ট (জুঠো) ভক্ষণ করে, তবে তা গুরুতর দোষ; বিধিমতে প্রায়শ্চিত্ত আবশ্যক।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instructional chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Sets a time-bound purification (six nights) after consuming food/drink associated with censured groups; flags consumption of leftovers of antyas as a graver breach needing stricter handling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ṣaḍrātra-śuddhi after eating/drinking; gravity of antya-ucchiṣṭa","lookup_keywords":["ṣaḍrātra","ucchiṣṭa","antya","aśauca","śuddhi-kāla"],"quick_summary":"Purification after eating/drinking associated with them is achieved in six nights; consuming the leftovers (ucchiṣṭa) of antyas is treated as a more serious transgression requiring heavier expiation per rule."}
Concept: Purity is regulated by time (kāla-śuddhi) and by the nature of intake (ucchiṣṭa as higher doṣa).
Application: Maintain food-boundary discipline in shared meals; if breached, observe the prescribed waiting/penance period before resuming rites.
Khanda Section: Dharma-śāstra / Śauca-Āśauca (Purification rules and social/ritual conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A communal meal scene where a dvija mistakenly eats/drinks associated food; a six-night purification period is symbolized; a separate cautionary vignette shows leftover consumption as severe.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dining scene with banana leaves, then a sequence of six night-sky panels with stars, penitent bathing at dawn, restrained palette and iconic figures","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, ornate dining setup with gold accents, then a framed row of six moonlit nights above, central figure in purification posture, temple-like border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional storyboard: ‘eat/drink’ leading to ‘six nights’ with numbered panels; separate panel warning against ucchiṣṭa, fine lines and soft washes","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed feast and household interior, then calendar-like depiction of six nights, realistic utensils and textiles, moral narrative tone"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भुक्त्वापीत्वा = भुक्त्वा + पीत्वा; भुक्तशेषन्तु = भुक्तशेषम् + तु. द्विजातयः taken as nominative plural of द्विजाति (m.).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 170 (food-contact impurities)
FAQs
It gives a śauca (purification) time-rule: after consuming food/drink connected with certain persons, purification is attained after six nights, and it flags consumption of antya-leftovers by dvijātis as a more serious breach requiring expiation per dharma codes.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves dharmaśāstra-like practical regulations—here, detailed rules about food-contact, social boundaries, and ritual purity—showing its wide-ranging, handbook-style scope.
The verse frames food-sharing and leftovers as karmically and ritually consequential; observing prescribed purification protects sacramental purity (especially for dvijātis) and is treated as necessary to restore eligibility for rites and religious acts.