Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 33
Chapter 370: नरकनिरूपणम्
Naraka-nirūpaṇa) — Description of Hell (with the physiology of dying and the subtle transition
यो येन संस्पृशत्येषां स तल्लिङ्गो ऽभिजायते अन्नहर्ता मायावी स्यान्मूको वागपहारकः
yo yena saṃspṛśatyeṣāṃ sa talliṅgo 'bhijāyate annahartā māyāvī syānmūko vāgapahārakaḥ
Ein Mensch wird wiedergeboren und trägt genau das Merkmal, das der Sünde entspricht, die er an diesen Wesen begeht. Wer Nahrung stiehlt, wird ein trügerischer Betrüger; und wer einem anderen die Rede raubt, wird stumm geboren.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as the Agni Purāṇa’s primary narrative frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Provides a general rule of karmic correspondence (yathā-karma tathā-liṅga) and specific examples (food theft, speech-robbing), useful for moral education and prāyaścitta counseling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Principle of karmic correspondence (liṅga)","lookup_keywords":["liṅga","yathā-karma","annaharaṇa","māyāvī","mūka"],"quick_summary":"The verse states that rebirth bears the mark matching the harm done; it exemplifies this with food theft leading to deceitfulness and robbing speech leading to muteness."}
Concept: Karmic mirroring: the nature of harm determines the nature of future limitation or defect; ethical causality is specific, not random.
Application: Adopt non-exploitative livelihood; protect others’ nourishment and dignity; cultivate truthful, non-silencing speech in community life.
Khanda Section: Dharma–Karma-vipāka (Ethics of action and karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-like figure explains a karmic law; beside him, two vignettes: a food thief becoming a sly illusionist (māyāvī) and a person who silences/robs speech becoming mute (mūka).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central sage instructing with hand-gesture, side panels showing food theft and a trickster with illusion motifs, and a mute figure with sealed lips; bold outlines, narrative clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central dharma-preceptor with gold halo, two framed scenes with ornate borders: grain/food theft leading to a masked trickster, and speech-robbing leading to a mute figure; rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic didactic scene with labels, gentle colors, emphasis on facial expression (muteness) and gesture (deceit), clean composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scene of confiscating food and silencing a speaker, followed by symbolic transformation portraits; fine detailing, architectural background, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संस्पृशति + एषाम् → संस्पृशत्येषाम्; तद् + लिङ्गः → तल्लिङ्गः; लिङ्गः + अभिजायते → लिङ्गोऽभिजायते; स्यात् + मूकः → स्यान्मूकः; वाक् + अपहारकः → वागपहारकः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 370 (series of karmic fruits by category of theft/violence)
FAQs
It teaches karma-vipāka: specific unethical acts (food-theft and depriving others of speech) are said to yield corresponding rebirth traits—deceitfulness and muteness—serving as a practical ethical warning.
Beyond rituals and theology, the Agni Purāṇa catalogs moral causality (action-to-result mappings). This verse functions like a compact “moral jurisprudence” entry describing how particular harms manifest as observable consequences across rebirth.
It underscores that harm done to basic life-support (food) and to dharmic expression (speech) rebounds as a loss or distortion of one’s own capacities, reinforcing restraint, honesty, and non-injury in daily conduct.