Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 1
Chapter 154: विवाहः
Vivāha — Marriage
१७च्द् नैष्ठिको ब्रह्मचारी वा देहान्तं निवसेद्गुरौ अप्_१५३ इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमो नाम त्रिपञ्चाशदधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथ चतुःपञ्चाशदधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः विवाहः पुष्कर उवाच विप्रश् चतस्रो विन्देत भार्यास्तिस्रस्तु भूमिपः द्वे च वैश्यो यथाकामं भार्यैकामपि चान्त्यजः
17cd naiṣṭhiko brahmacārī vā dehāntaṃ nivasedgurau ap_153 ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe brahmacaryāśramo nāma tripañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ atha catuḥpañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ vivāhaḥ puṣkara uvāca vipraś catasro vindeta bhāryāstisrastu bhūmipaḥ dve ca vaiśyo yathākāmaṃ bhāryaikāmapi cāntyajaḥ
A lifelong (naiṣṭhika) brahmacārin should reside with his teacher until the end of his life. Thus ends, in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa, the one-hundred-and-fifty-third chapter called “The Brahmacarya Āśrama.” Now begins the one-hundred-and-fifty-fourth chapter: “Marriage.” Puṣkara said: “A brāhmaṇa may obtain four wives; a king (kṣatriya) three; a vaiśya two, according to desire; and an antyaja even one wife.”
Puṣkara
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Guidance for āśrama-dharma (lifelong brahmacarya) and vivāha eligibility norms by varṇa for household formation and social regulation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Naiṣṭhika-brahmacārin duty and varṇa-wise wife-number rule","lookup_keywords":["naiṣṭhika brahmacarya","gurukula residence","vivāha wives number","varṇa marriage rule","Agni Purana 154"],"quick_summary":"Defines the naiṣṭhika brahmacārin’s lifelong residence with the guru and states a varṇa-wise allowance for number of wives, framing marriage as a regulated dharma institution."}
Concept: Āśrama-dharma and vivāha as a regulated saṃskāra within varṇāśrama norms.
Application: Choosing life-path (naiṣṭhika brahmacarya vs gṛhastha) and aligning marriage decisions with prescribed social-ritual constraints.
Khanda Section: Dharmaśāstra / Āśrama-dharma & Vivāha-vidhi (Social and ritual law)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: dharmavira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A gurukula scene of a naiṣṭhika brahmacārin serving the guru, followed by a formal assembly where Puṣkara states varṇa-wise marriage allowances.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a serene gurukula with guru seated on a wooden āsana, brahmacārin with kamaṇḍalu and yajñopavīta serving; adjacent panel with sage Puṣkara addressing an audience, traditional ornamentation, flat perspective","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on guru’s halo and ornaments, brahmacārin in simple white, palm-leaf manuscripts, Puṣkara as central figure delivering dharma injunctions, rich red background, temple-like framing","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, instructional tableau: left—gurukula discipline; right—courtly/scholarly gathering with Puṣkara enumerating marriage rules, labeled objects like śāstra manuscript and ritual vessels","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior of a hermitage school with textiles and books, then a scholarly majlis with Puṣkara speaking; fine faces, subdued colors, marginal floral motifs"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nivasedgurau → nivased gurau; ity āgneye → iti āgneye; 'dhyāyaḥ represents adhyāyaḥ after avagraha; vipraś → vipraḥ; bhāryāstisrastu → bhāryāḥ tisraḥ tu; bhāryaikāmapi → bhāryā ekām api; cāntyajaḥ → ca antyajaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 153 (Brahmacaryāśrama); Agni Purana 154 (Vivāha-vidhi continuation)
FAQs
It states āśrama-dharma (the naiṣṭhika brahmacārin’s lifelong residence with the guru) and introduces vivāha-dharma by specifying the traditionally permitted number of wives by social class.
It shifts from student-discipline (brahmacarya) to household law (vivāha), showing how the Agni Purana compiles practical norms of social-ritual life alongside its many other subjects.
Lifelong brahmacarya is presented as a strict vow of discipline and service to the guru, while regulated marriage is framed as dharmic governance of desire—both aimed at preserving personal purity and social order.