Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 55
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
मातुलानीं स्वसारञ्च सगोत्रामन्यमिच्छतीं शिष्यभार्यां गुरोर्भार्यां गत्वा चान्द्रायणञ्चरेत्
mātulānīṃ svasārañca sagotrāmanyamicchatīṃ śiṣyabhāryāṃ gurorbhāryāṃ gatvā cāndrāyaṇañcaret
Hat jemand Beischlaf mit der Frau des Onkels mütterlicherseits, mit der eigenen Schwester, mit einer anderen Frau derselben Gotra, mit der Frau des Schülers oder mit der Frau des Guru, so soll er das Sühnegelübde des Cāndrāyaṇa vollziehen.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Specifies Cāndrāyaṇa as expiation for a set of prohibited sexual relations (close kin, same gotra, guru/disciple relations), used for dharma adjudication and personal corrective observance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cāndrāyaṇa prāyaścitta for gotra/ācārya-related sexual transgressions","lookup_keywords":["cāndrāyaṇa","sagotram","guru-bhāryā","śiṣya-bhāryā","mātulānī"],"quick_summary":"For intercourse with maternal uncle’s wife, one’s sister, a woman of the same gotra, a disciple’s wife, or the guru’s wife, the prescribed expiation is the Cāndrāyaṇa observance (lunar-regulated penance)."}
Concept: Ritual-moral repair is enacted through regulated vrata (Cāndrāyaṇa), aligning bodily discipline with cosmic rhythm (moon) to restore dharmic balance.
Application: Undertake Cāndrāyaṇa under competent guidance with strict dietary regulation and daily observances, as a formal method of expiation in Smārta practice.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prāyaścitta (Expiations for sexual transgressions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent performing Cāndrāyaṇa: moon phases indicated, measured food portions, daily sandhyā and japa, a calm austere setting with ritual implements and a lunar calendar motif.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, night-sky crescent-to-full moon band above, penitent seated with small measured meal, water pot, sacred thread, quiet shrine lamp, emphasis on austerity and lunar rhythm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, stylized moon disc with gold work, penitent before a small altar, ornate but restrained, symbolic depiction of measured grains and a lunar tally, devotional austerity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic panel: sequence of moon phases and corresponding food measures, penitent in repeated poses, clean lines and soft colors, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate interior with a calendar scroll showing tithis, penitent measuring food, moonlight through a jali window, fine detail and quiet penitential mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वसारञ्च = स्वसारम् + च; सगोत्रामन्यमिच्छतीं = सगोत्राम् + अन्याम् + इच्छतीम्; गुरोर्भार्यां = गुरोः + भार्याम्; चान्द्रायणञ्चरेत् = चान्द्रायणम् + चरेत् (च-आगमः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (sexual transgression prāyaścitta gradations); Agni Purana 174 (japa counts and worship-lapse expiations as adjacent prāyaścitta logic)
FAQs
It prescribes the Cāndrāyaṇa vrata (a lunar-cycle penance with regulated intake and discipline) as the expiation for specific grave sexual transgressions involving prohibited women (same-gotra, close kin, guru/disciple relations).
Alongside ritual, theology, and other sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies Dharmaśāstra-style legal-ethical norms and penances, functioning as a practical handbook for conduct and purification.
The verse frames these acts as severe dharmic violations that generate heavy demerit; performing Cāndrāyaṇa is presented as a means of ritual purification and karmic remediation, restoring eligibility for religious life.