Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 31
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
जन्मनामस्मृते वैतत् तत्परं गोत्रमुच्यते विगतन्तु विदेशस्थं शृणुयाद्यो ह्य् अनिर्दशं
janmanāmasmṛte vaitat tatparaṃ gotramucyate vigatantu videśasthaṃ śṛṇuyādyo hy anirdaśaṃ
When the birth-name is recalled (or stated), the gotra should be declared accordingly. But if the person has departed and resides in a foreign land, it should be ascertained by hearing it from one called anirdaśa—one not identifiable as a direct witness.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, per the common Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Procedure for establishing/declaring gotra and identity in administrative-legal or ritual contexts, especially when the person is abroad/absent; indicates reliance on testimony/hearsay from an ‘anirdeśa’ source when direct identification is unavailable.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Gotra Determination via Birth-name and Indirect Testimony (Anirdeśa)","lookup_keywords":["gotra","janma-nāma","pramāṇa","deśāntara","anirdeśa"],"quick_summary":"Gotra is declared based on the recalled birth-name; if the person is abroad, it should be ascertained through indirect hearing/testimony when direct pointing-out is not possible."}
Concept: Social-ritual identity (gotra) is maintained through name-memory and acceptable epistemic means (hearing/testimony) when direct evidence is absent.
Application: In rites requiring gotra (saṅkalpa, śrāddha, marriage preliminaries), use birth-name linkage; if absent/abroad, accept mediated testimony per rule.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Samajika-Vyavahara (Lineage, identity, and social designation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual officiant or village scribe records a person’s birth-name and declares gotra; in a parallel vignette, the person is shown abroad while locals ascertain identity through a messenger/witness who cannot directly point the person out.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split scene: left—scribe/priest with palm-leaf manuscript noting janma-nāma and gotra; right—traveler in distant land, messenger relaying testimony, warm earthy tones, clear narrative panels.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central priest holding manuscript, decorative text cartouche for ‘gotra’, side panel with distant traveler, gold borders emphasizing formal declaration.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: labeled elements ‘janma-nāma’, ‘gotra’, ‘śruti (hearing)’, clean composition like a manual illustration, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, administrative court scene with clerk and witnesses, travel vignette with caravan and foreign cityscape, meticulous costume and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gotramucyate = gotram + ucyate; vigatantu = vigatam + tu; h(y) = hi with sandhi before vowel; janmanāmasmṛte treated as dvandva compound phrase.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (deśāntara exceptions; śauca and social procedure context)
FAQs
It gives a procedural rule for stating/ascertaining a person’s gotra based on the remembered birth-name, with an alternate method when the person is absent or abroad.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical norms of social-legal identification (gotra, naming, testimony/ascertainment), reflecting the Purana’s coverage of governance and customary law alongside ritual and myth.
Correct gotra-identification supports accuracy in rites and social duties (saṃskāras, offerings, formal declarations), reducing ritual error and maintaining dharmic order.