Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
षड्भिर्वर्षैः शुद्धचारी ब्रह्महा पूयते नरः विहितं यदकामा मां कामात्तु द्विगुणं स्मृतं
ṣaḍbhirvarṣaiḥ śuddhacārī brahmahā pūyate naraḥ vihitaṃ yadakāmā māṃ kāmāttu dviguṇaṃ smṛtaṃ
A man who has slain a brāhmaṇa becomes purified in six years if he maintains pure conduct. What is prescribed when done without desire—if done out of desire—is remembered as requiring a penance twice as great.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s common narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Explains conditional reduction/augmentation of penance: purity of conduct can shorten purification; intention (desire-driven vs desireless) changes the required expiation, with kāmya performance doubling the burden.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Prāyaścitta-phala: Śuddhācāra and Intention (Akāma vs Kāma)","lookup_keywords":["śuddhācāra","akāma","kāma","dviguṇa prāyaścitta","brahmahatyā śuddhi"],"quick_summary":"Purification depends not only on the act but on conduct and motive: sustained purity can cleanse in six years, while desire-motivated performance entails a penance twice as great as desireless observance."}
Concept: Bhāva (intention) and ācāra (conduct) are decisive in dharmic evaluation; the same outward act differs in moral weight by motive.
Application: In vows, charity, and penance, cultivate niṣkāma attitude and consistent conduct; avoid instrumentalizing dharma for personal gain.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta (Expiations and Purificatory Atonements)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A split-scene: on one side a penitent practicing pure conduct over years; on the other, a similar penance performed with visible desire/attachment, shown by grasping gestures or worldly symbols, with a scale indicating doubled burden.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural diptych, two panels of the same ascetic: serene niṣkāma side with calm aura, kāmya side with restless eyes and worldly motifs, symbolic balance scale between","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, symmetrical composition with gold scale motif, two penitent figures contrasted by halos (pure) vs ornate temptations (desire), rich gilded borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional diagram-like painting: labels for akāma and kāma, timeline of six years vs doubled penance, fine linework and gentle colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, moral allegory: two ascetics in different settings, one austere hermitage, one near courtly allure, a scribe noting 'dviguṇa', refined detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ṣaḍbhirvarṣaiḥ = ṣaḍbhiḥ + varṣaiḥ; kāmāttu = kāmāt + tu. Segment ‘yadakāmā’ likely intends yad akāmāt / yad akāmena (variant/metrical).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (rules on durations and conditions of expiation)
FAQs
It gives a prāyaścitta rule: brahmahatyā is expiated by six years of śuddha-caryā (disciplined pure conduct), and penance is doubled when performed with desire rather than desirelessly.
It exemplifies the text’s dharma-śāstra style coverage—codifying legal-ethical rules for sin, intention, and expiation—alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, and arts).
It links inner intention to karmic purification: selfless observance purifies more directly, while desire-tainted penance requires greater effort (dviguṇa) to neutralize the same moral fault.