Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Chapter 171 — प्रायश्चित्तानि
Prāyaścittāni / Expiations
जपतो ऽवधहेति ख , घ , ज च एकरात्रोपवासश् चकृच्छ्रं शान्तपनं स्मृतं एतच्च प्रत्याभ्यस्तं महाशान्तपनं स्मृतं
japato 'vadhaheti kha , gha , ja ca ekarātropavāsaś cakṛcchraṃ śāntapanaṃ smṛtaṃ etacca pratyābhyastaṃ mahāśāntapanaṃ smṛtaṃ
For one who performs japa of the mantric syllables “avadha”—namely kha, gha, and ja—and also undertakes a fast for a single night, the kṛcchra-penance called Śāntapana is declared. When this very observance is repeatedly practised, it is declared to be the Mahā-Śāntapana, the “Great Śāntapana”.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Combining specific japa (of syllables associated with ‘avadha’: kha, gha, ja) with a one-night fast to perform Śāntapana; repeating it yields Mahā-Śāntapana.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śāntapana and Mahā-Śāntapana — Japa of kha/gha/ja with one-night fast","lookup_keywords":["śāntapana","mahā-śāntapana","japa kha gha ja","avadha mantra","ekarātra upavāsa"],"quick_summary":"Śāntapana is defined as japa of the specified syllables (kha, gha, ja) together with a one-night fast; repeated performance constitutes Mahā-Śāntapana."}
Concept: Mantra-japa paired with bodily restraint (upavāsa) functions as a pacifying (śānti) expiation; repetition intensifies the purificatory effect and commitment.
Application: For expiatory practice, integrate speech-discipline (japa) and appetite-discipline (fasting) with consistent repetition rather than sporadic effort.
Khanda Section: Dharma-prāyaścitta (Expiations and purificatory penances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner seated in a clean space at night, counting japa on a mālā while fasting, with syllables kha-gha-ja written on a palm-leaf; repeated cycles indicated by stacked tally marks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, night-time austerity scene with a seated sādhaka holding mālā, palm-leaf showing kha gha ja, oil lamp glow, serene śānti mood, minimal background","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sādhaka with mālā and manuscript bearing kha-gha-ja, gold-highlighted lamp and border, devotional calm emphasizing śāntapana","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction of japa + one-night fast: mālā, water pot, palm-leaf syllables, repeated-practice marks indicating mahā-śāntapana, clean composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar-ascetic in a quiet chamber at night, fine rendering of rosary beads and calligraphed syllables kha/gha/ja on a folio, subtle lamp light and contemplative posture"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जपतोऽवधहेति→जपतः+अवध+हे+इति; एकरात्रोपवासः→एकरात्र+उपवासः; एतच्च→एतत्+च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 171 (śāntapana classification among prāyaścittas)
FAQs
It defines the Śāntapana kṛcchra as a combination of japa on specified syllables (kha, gha, ja within an ‘avadha’ formula) together with a one-night fast, and states that repeating the same observance becomes Mahāśāntapana.
By cataloging named prāyaścitta observances with precise components (mantra-japa + duration of fasting) and graded intensification (Śāntapana → Mahāśāntapana), it exemplifies the text’s compendium-style treatment of dharma, ritual procedure, and legal-religious expiation.
It presents a structured means of purification: disciplined mantra-recitation and controlled fasting function as expiatory acts intended to pacify (śānti) the effects of wrongdoing and restore ritual and moral purity, with repetition increasing the penance’s potency.