Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Chapter 171 — प्रायश्चित्तानि
Prāyaścittāni / Expiations
जपतो ऽवधहेति ख , घ , ज च एकरात्रोपवासश् चकृच्छ्रं शान्तपनं स्मृतं एतच्च प्रत्याभ्यस्तं महाशान्तपनं स्मृतं
japato 'vadhaheti kha , gha , ja ca ekarātropavāsaś cakṛcchraṃ śāntapanaṃ smṛtaṃ etacca pratyābhyastaṃ mahāśāntapanaṃ smṛtaṃ
যে ‘অবধ’—অর্থাৎ খ, ঘ ও জ—এই অক্ষরগুলির জপ করে এবং এক রাত্রি উপবাসও করে, তার কৃচ্ছ্রকে ‘শান্তপন’ বলা হয়। এই একই বিধি বারবার করলে তা ‘মহাশান্তপন’ নামে স্মৃত।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Combining specific japa (of syllables associated with ‘avadha’: kha, gha, ja) with a one-night fast to perform Śāntapana; repeating it yields Mahā-Śāntapana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śāntapana and Mahā-Śāntapana — Japa of kha/gha/ja with one-night fast","lookup_keywords":["śāntapana","mahā-śāntapana","japa kha gha ja","avadha mantra","ekarātra upavāsa"],"quick_summary":"Śāntapana is defined as japa of the specified syllables (kha, gha, ja) together with a one-night fast; repeated performance constitutes Mahā-Śāntapana."}
Concept: Mantra-japa paired with bodily restraint (upavāsa) functions as a pacifying (śānti) expiation; repetition intensifies the purificatory effect and commitment.
Application: For expiatory practice, integrate speech-discipline (japa) and appetite-discipline (fasting) with consistent repetition rather than sporadic effort.
Khanda Section: Dharma-prāyaścitta (Expiations and purificatory penances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner seated in a clean space at night, counting japa on a mālā while fasting, with syllables kha-gha-ja written on a palm-leaf; repeated cycles indicated by stacked tally marks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, night-time austerity scene with a seated sādhaka holding mālā, palm-leaf showing kha gha ja, oil lamp glow, serene śānti mood, minimal background","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sādhaka with mālā and manuscript bearing kha-gha-ja, gold-highlighted lamp and border, devotional calm emphasizing śāntapana","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction of japa + one-night fast: mālā, water pot, palm-leaf syllables, repeated-practice marks indicating mahā-śāntapana, clean composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-ascetic in a quiet chamber at night, fine rendering of rosary beads and calligraphed syllables kha/gha/ja on a folio, subtle lamp light and contemplative posture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जपतोऽवधहेति→जपतः+अवध+हे+इति; एकरात्रोपवासः→एकरात्र+उपवासः; एतच्च→एतत्+च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 171 (śāntapana classification among prāyaścittas)
FAQs
It defines the Śāntapana kṛcchra as a combination of japa on specified syllables (kha, gha, ja within an ‘avadha’ formula) together with a one-night fast, and states that repeating the same observance becomes Mahāśāntapana.
By cataloging named prāyaścitta observances with precise components (mantra-japa + duration of fasting) and graded intensification (Śāntapana → Mahāśāntapana), it exemplifies the text’s compendium-style treatment of dharma, ritual procedure, and legal-religious expiation.
It presents a structured means of purification: disciplined mantra-recitation and controlled fasting function as expiatory acts intended to pacify (śānti) the effects of wrongdoing and restore ritual and moral purity, with repetition increasing the penance’s potency.