Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 1
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
इत्य् आग्नेये महपुराणे ऽयुतलक्षकोटिहोमा नाम सप्तषष्ट्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथाष्टषष्ट्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः महापातकादिकथनम् पुष्कर उवाच दण्डं कुर्यान्नृपो नॄणां प्रायश्चित्तमकुर्वतां कामतो ऽकामतो वापि प्रायश्चित्तं कृतं चरेत्
ity āgneye mahapurāṇe 'yutalakṣakoṭihomā nāma saptaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ athāṣṭaṣaṣṭyadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ mahāpātakādikathanam puṣkara uvāca daṇḍaṃ kuryānnṛpo nṝṇāṃ prāyaścittamakurvatāṃ kāmato 'kāmato vāpi prāyaścittaṃ kṛtaṃ caret
Thus, in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa, the one-hundred-and-sixty-seventh chapter, called “Ayuta-lakṣa-koṭi-homa,” concludes. Now begins the one-hundred-and-sixty-eighth chapter, “The exposition of great sins and related topics.” Puṣkara said: “A king should impose punishment on those people who do not perform expiation (prāyaścitta). Whether a sin is committed intentionally or unintentionally, one should undertake the prescribed expiatory rite and carry it out.”
Puṣkara
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for governance: enforcing prāyaścitta observance through royal daṇḍa, and distinguishing intentional vs unintentional sin while still requiring prescribed expiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Rājadaṇḍa and prāyaścitta: expiation mandatory for intentional and unintentional sin","lookup_keywords":["rājadharma","daṇḍa","prāyaścitta","kāmataḥ","akāmataḥ"],"quick_summary":"The king should punish those who refuse expiation; whether wrongdoing is deliberate or accidental, one must perform the prescribed prāyaścitta to restore dharma and social order."}
Concept: Dharma is maintained by both inner correction (prāyaścitta) and outer enforcement (rājadaṇḍa); culpability differs, but purification remains required.
Application: Policy principle: mandate corrective rites/penances and penalize refusal, integrating ethics with governance.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Prāyaścitta (Law, Sin, and Expiation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king seated in court instructs officials to enforce expiation; a petitioner admits a fault (intentional or accidental) and receives prescribed prāyaścitta, symbolizing restoration of order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal court scene with king on throne, ministers, a supplicant, palm-leaf records of prāyaścitta, calm shanta palette with dignified posture","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with gold-embellished throne and ornaments, courtly symmetry, priest holding scripture indicating prāyaścitta, gold leaf accents emphasizing authority","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic court tableau: king, scribe, priest, offender; visual labels for daṇḍa and prāyaścitta; restrained colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with carpets and pillars, king gesturing toward a priest reading penance rules, offender bowing, meticulous textiles and faces"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इत्य् → इति; ऽयुत... → अयुत... (avagraha); ऽध्यायः → अध्यायः; कुर्यान्नृपो → कुर्यात् + नृपः; कामतो ऽकामतो → कामतः + अकामतः; वापि → वा + अपि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (Mahāpātaka-kathana section continuing); Agni Purana 167 (chapter colophon and transition)
FAQs
It teaches prāyaścitta-vidhi in a legal setting: expiation must be performed for sins whether intentional or accidental, and the king is authorized to enforce compliance through daṇḍa (penalty).
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves a dharma-śāstra-like framework—integrating governance (rājadharma), jurisprudence (daṇḍa), and ritual purification (prāyaścitta)—showing the Purana as a compendium of practical social-religious regulation.
It frames expiation as necessary for restoring dharmic order and reducing karmic taint, emphasizing accountability even for unintended wrongdoing and the ruler’s role in protecting communal moral purity.