Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 29
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
दशाहेन सपिण्डास्तु शुद्ध्यन्ति प्रेतसूतके त्रिरात्रेण सुकुल्यास्तु स्नानात् शुद्ध्यन्ति गोत्रिणः
daśāhena sapiṇḍāstu śuddhyanti pretasūtake trirātreṇa sukulyāstu snānāt śuddhyanti gotriṇaḥ
In impurity caused by a death (preta-sūtaka), the sapinda relatives are purified after ten days; the sukulya relatives after three nights; and those of the same gotra are purified by bathing.
Lord Agni (narrating dharma rules in the Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determines the duration of death-impurity (preta-sūtaka) and the required purification timeline for different kinship circles (sapinda, sukulya, gotrin), guiding when rites, temple entry, and social/ritual interactions may resume.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Aśauca Durations for Preta-sūtaka by Kinship Class","lookup_keywords":["preta-sūtaka","aśauca","sapinda","sukulya","gotra"],"quick_summary":"Sapindas purify after ten days; sukulyas after three nights; gotra-members purify by bathing—mapping impurity rules to degrees of kinship."}
Concept: Ritual impurity is graded by relational proximity; purification is time-bound and rule-governed to restore social-ritual harmony.
Application: Use kinship category to compute when one may resume agnihotra, pūjā, śrāddha participation, and communal rites.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ashaucha & Shuddhi: impurity and purification rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household in mourning observes regulated days of impurity; different relatives are shown with distinct timelines—sapindas waiting ten days, sukulyas three nights, gotrins bathing for purification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic courtyard with mourning family, calendar-like visual cues (10-day, 3-night), river/pond bathing vignette for gotrins, subdued colors, dignified restraint.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, triptych composition: sapinda group with ten-day marker, sukulya group with three-night lamp motif, gotrin bathing scene, gold accents framing each panel.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic chart-like scene labeling sapinda/sukulya/gotra, fine inscriptions, clear separation of groups, emphasis on procedural clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior mourning scene with attendants, marginal notes indicating durations, separate vignette of bathing at a river, naturalistic faces and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: sapiṇḍāstu = sa-piṇḍāḥ + tu; sukulyāstu = su-kulyāḥ + tu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (aśauca/śuddhi rules; sapinda terminology)
FAQs
It gives graded purification periods for death-impurity (preta-sūtaka): ten days for sapindas, three nights for more distant sukulyas, and purification for gotra-members through bathing.
Alongside theology and worship, the Agni Purana preserves applied dharma-shastra material—practical social-ritual regulations (aśauca, kinship categories like sapinda/gotra) used for household rites and śrāddha-related discipline.
Observing the prescribed aśauca and its completion through time or bathing restores ritual eligibility (adhikāra) for worship and rites, maintaining dharmic order and proper respect toward the deceased and the sacred.