Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 21
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
शुद्ध्येयुरुपवासेन पञ्चगव्येन वाप्यथ यस्तु संस्पृश्य चण्डालमश्नीयाच्च स्वकामतः
śuddhyeyurupavāsena pañcagavyena vāpyatha yastu saṃspṛśya caṇḍālamaśnīyācca svakāmataḥ
Man soll sich durch Fasten reinigen oder andernfalls durch die Einnahme von pañcagavya. Wer jedoch, nachdem er einen Caṇḍāla berührt hat, absichtlich isst, verfällt in Unreinheit und bedarf der Sühne.
Lord Agni (narrating Dharma and expiations to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Ritual purity management after contact-based impurity: choose fasting or pañcagavya intake; highlights intentionality (saṅkalpa) as aggravating factor.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śuddhi by Upavāsa or Pañcagavya after Caṇḍāla-sparśa; intentional eating as doṣa","lookup_keywords":["śauca","prāyaścitta","pañcagavya","upavāsa","caṇḍāla-sparśa"],"quick_summary":"For impurity arising from contact with a caṇḍāla, purification is by fasting or pañcagavya; deliberate eating after such contact is treated as a culpable transgression requiring expiation."}
Concept: Intentionality (svakāma/saṅkalpa) increases moral-ritual fault; discipline restores ritual fitness.
Application: Cultivate restraint after impurity-contact; adopt prescribed expiation promptly to re-enter rites and communal worship.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Shauca-prayashchitta (Purification and Expiation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder performs purification: fasting discipline and preparation of pañcagavya after an impurity-contact; emphasis on mindful restraint before eating.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, muted earth pigments, a Brahmin seated in śauca posture with water pot and pañcagavya bowl, attendants indicating ritual purity, palm-leaf manuscript in background, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on ritual vessels, seated dvija with kamandalu and pañcagavya cup, ornate arch frame, minimal background, devotional-instructional mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional scene of fasting vow with calendar-like lunar marks, clean interior, ritual implements labeled visually, soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard, scholar-priest refusing food, servant holding pañcagavya mixture, precise textiles and vessels, narrative realism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शुद्ध्येयुरुपवासेन = शुद्ध्येयुः + उपवासेन; वाप्यथ = वा + अपि + अथ; चण्डालमश्नीयाच्च = चण्डालम् + अश्नीयात् + च; स्वकामतः treated as avyayībhāva (स्व + काम + तस्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 170 (Śauca–Prāyaścitta section)
FAQs
It prescribes two standard purification measures—upavāsa (fasting) or pañcagavya—when impurity is incurred, and flags intentional eating after contact with an impure person as a culpable act needing expiation.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles practical Dharma material: rules of śauca (purity), everyday conduct, and prāyaścitta (expiations), functioning like a handbook of ritual-legal norms.
The verse distinguishes accidental impurity from deliberate transgression: intentional action (svakāmataḥ) increases moral fault, so purification is not merely physical but also a corrective for willful breach of dharma.