Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 37
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
दाने यज्ञे विवाहे च सद्यः शौचं विधीयते विप्रगोनृपहन्तॄणामनुक्तं चात्मघातिनां
dāne yajñe vivāhe ca sadyaḥ śaucaṃ vidhīyate vipragonṛpahantṝṇāmanuktaṃ cātmaghātināṃ
In the cases of gifting (dāna), sacrifice (yajña), and marriage (vivāha), immediate purification (sadyah-śauca) is prescribed. For the slayers of a brāhmaṇa, a cow, or a king, and likewise for suicides, the rule is not explicitly stated here.
Lord Agni (teaching to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as the standard Agni Purāṇa dialog frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Ensuring eligibility and readiness for auspicious rites (dāna, yajña, vivāha) through immediate śauca, while noting unresolved/unstated rules for grave sinners (brahmahatyā, gohatyā, rājavadha) and suicides requiring consultation of fuller smṛti/prāyaścitta sections.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sadyah-śauca for dāna-yajña-vivāha; note on grave transgressors","lookup_keywords":["sadyah-śauca","dāna","yajña","vivāha","prāyaścitta"],"quick_summary":"For gifting, sacrifice, and marriage, immediate purification is prescribed; for killers of a brāhmaṇa, cow, or king, and for suicides, this passage does not state the rule, implying recourse to other prāyaścitta authorities."}
Concept: Auspicious acts require immediate ritual readiness (sadyah-śauca), while grave sins fall under specialized prāyaścitta beyond general śauca rules.
Application: Before dāna/yajña/vivāha, perform immediate śauca (bath/cleanliness as per tradition); for mahāpātaka contexts, consult prāyaścitta texts/ācārya guidance rather than assuming ordinary śuddhi.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Ashauca-Shauca Vidhi (Rules of purity and impurity)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Three auspicious settings—gift-giving, yajña altar, and wedding pavilion—each preceded by immediate purification; a contrasting shadowed panel indicates grave sins (brahmahatyā, gohatyā, rājavadha, suicide) with a note to seek prāyaścitta authority.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, triptych: dāna scene with donor and brāhmaṇa, yajña with fire altar, vivāha with maṇḍapa; foreground figure performing quick snāna/ācamanam; darker corner motif symbolizing mahāpātaka requiring expiation.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, richly ornamented vivāha maṇḍapa with gold, adjacent small yajña kuṇḍa and dāna scene; central purification act highlighted with gold water vessel; border inscriptions of 'sadyah-śauca'.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional diagram: sequence arrows from śauca to dāna/yajña/vivāha; separate boxed note for mahāpātaka and ātmaghāta marked 'anuktam' (not stated here).","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, elegant courtly wedding and yajña scenes with fine detail; a small scholar figure annotates a manuscript margin indicating immediate purification; subdued vignette of penitential consultation for grave transgressions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हन्तॄणामनुक्तं = हन्तॄणाम् + अनुक्तम्; चात्मघातिनां = च + आत्मघातिनाम्. vipragonṛpahantṝṇām treated as multi-member tatpurusha (enumerative).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (śauca/aśauca); Agni Purana prāyaścitta-related material (where present in the text’s dharma sections)
FAQs
It specifies a śauca rule: for dāna, yajña, and vivāha, purification is to be done immediately (sadyaḥ śauca), indicating these rites require prompt restoration/maintenance of ritual purity.
Alongside theology and worship, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical dharma-shāstric procedure—here, operational rules of purity (śauca) and the classification of severe transgressions—showing its coverage of social-ritual governance.
Immediate śauca safeguards the efficacy and auspiciousness of major rites (charity, sacrifice, marriage), while the mention of brahmin/cow/king-slaying and suicide signals acts of extreme demerit that fall under heavier expiatory frameworks beyond ordinary purification.