Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 13
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
दशाहाच्छुद्ध्यते विप्रो द्वादशाहेन भूमिपः वैश्यः पञ्चदशाहेन शूद्रो मासेन शुद्ध्यति
daśāhācchuddhyate vipro dvādaśāhena bhūmipaḥ vaiśyaḥ pañcadaśāhena śūdro māsena śuddhyati
Ein Brahmane wird nach zehn Tagen rein; ein König nach zwölf Tagen; ein Vaiśya nach fünfzehn Tagen; und ein Śūdra wird nach einem Monat rein.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determining the correct duration of aśauca (ritual impurity) after a death, based on varṇa/social role, before resuming daily rites, śrāddha-related duties, and temple participation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aśauca-śuddhi kāla by varṇa (10/12/15/30 days)","lookup_keywords":["aśauca","śuddhi","daśāha","varṇa","antyeṣṭi"],"quick_summary":"The verse gives a graded schedule for purification after death: 10 days for a Brahmin, 12 for a king, 15 for a Vaiśya, and one month for a Śūdra; it guides when normal ritual life may be resumed."}
Concept: Ritual order (śauca/aśauca) is time-bound and socially codified to protect communal and sacrificial purity.
Application: Use the stated day-count to schedule bathing, restrictions, and the restart of agnihotra/upanayana-related duties and temple entry as per one’s station.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Ashaucha-shuddhi (Ritual Purity and Impurity Rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household in mourning: family members observing aśauca with simple dress, abstentions, and a day-count being marked; a learned priest indicates the purification day for each varṇa/role.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, muted earth pigments, a Brahmin priest with palm-leaf manuscript indicating ten-day śuddhi, mourners seated in a courtyard, ritual vessels kept aside, calm śānta mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf accents, central seated priest pointing to a day-count board (10/12/15/30), stylized mourners with minimal ornaments, ornate border, devotional-dharma ambience.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional tableau showing four figures labeled vipra, bhūmipa, vaiśya, śūdra with respective day counts, clean composition, manuscript-like clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard scene, scribe noting days, figures in subdued garments, precise architecture and textiles, emphasis on social roles and measured time."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशाहात् + शुद्ध्यते → दशाहाच्छुद्ध्यते (त् + श् → च्छ्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Āśauca-śuddhi section)
FAQs
It gives the ashaucha–shuddhi timetable: the prescribed number of days required to regain ritual purity for different social categories (Brahmin, king, Vaishya, Shudra).
Alongside theology and worship, the Agni Purana also codifies practical dharma topics—social law, purity regulations, and ritual procedure—showing its wide-ranging, handbook-like coverage of lived religious life.
Observing the stated period of purification is treated as restoring eligibility for rites (karma-kāṇḍa) and maintaining dharmic order, thereby preventing ritual fault (doṣa) and supporting auspicious merit (puṇya).