Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 27
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
ततो दावाग्निदग्धस्तु स्थाणुर्भवति सानुगः ततो वर्षशतान्यष्टौ द्वे तिष्ठत्यचेतनः
tato dāvāgnidagdhastu sthāṇurbhavati sānugaḥ tato varṣaśatānyaṣṭau dve tiṣṭhatyacetanaḥ
Dann, vom Waldbrand versengt, wird er zu einem reglosen Baumstumpf samt seinen Schösslingen. Danach bleibt er achthundertzwei Jahre lang ohne Bewusstsein stehen.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Used in preta/naraka instruction to depict karmic consequence as prolonged immobile existence; supports ethical deterrence and ritual urgency (śrāddha, prayāścitta).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Karmic consequence: becoming a fire-scorched tree-stump for 802 years","lookup_keywords":["preta-gati","dāvāgni","sthāṇu","acetanatā","802 years"],"quick_summary":"Describes a punitive rebirth: scorched by forest-fire, one becomes an insentient stump with offshoots and remains so for 802 years—an image of prolonged helplessness as karma-fruit."}
Alamkara Type: Rupaka
Concept: Karma can yield states of extreme limitation (acetanatā), where agency is suspended for vast periods; time itself becomes the instrument of retribution.
Application: Encourages timely ethical correction and ritual atonement before agency is lost; motivates compassion toward suffering beings as possible karma-bearers.
Khanda Section: Preta-Karma and Karmic Consequences (Naraka/Preta-gati descriptions)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic forest-fire aftermath: a charred stump with small offshoots stands amid ash; a faint human karmic essence implied, emphasizing insentience and the long passage of years.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, intense red-orange dāvāgni flames transitioning to blackened forest, central sthāṇu stump with offshoots, symbolic time bands or repeated suns/moons to suggest 802 years, bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central charred stump with gold-highlighted embers, stylized flames at edges, dark background with ornate gold border, allegorical time motif (sun/moon) above.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative sequence panel: burning forest then stump standing through seasons, fine linework and muted palette, didactic clarity showing ‘acetanā’ stillness.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, realistic smoky forest-fire scene, detailed ash and bark textures, stump in center with tiny shoots, atmospheric perspective conveying long desolation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dāvāgnidagdhastu → dāva-agni-dagdhaḥ tu. sthāṇurbhavati → sthāṇuḥ bhavati. varṣaśatānyaṣṭau → varṣa-śatāni aṣṭau. tiṣṭhatyacetanaḥ → tiṣṭhati acetanaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165 (Preta-karma / naraka-gati narrative flow)
FAQs
It conveys a karmic doctrine used in preta/naraka teaching: specific sins can result in post-mortem immobilized embodiment (becoming a stump) with a fixed duration of insentient suffering, reinforcing the need for dharma and expiatory rites.
Alongside ritual and philosophical material, the Agni Purana catalogues detailed afterlife states and time-measures of suffering, functioning as a moral-legal taxonomy of consequences that complements its broader compendium of dharma, rites, and conduct.
It underscores that harmful actions can yield prolonged, unconscious stagnation in lower embodiments; the implied takeaway is to avoid adharma and pursue purification through righteous living and prescribed expiations.