Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 10
Saṃskāra-kathana
Account of the Saṃskāras
दया च सर्वभूतेषु क्षान्तिश् चैव तथार्जवम् शौचं चैवमनायासो मङ्गलं चापरो गुणः
dayā ca sarvabhūteṣu kṣāntiś caiva tathārjavam śaucaṃ caivamanāyāso maṅgalaṃ cāparo guṇaḥ
La compassion envers tous les êtres, la patience et la droiture ; la pureté, et aussi l’absence d’effort pénible excessif : ce sont là, eux aussi, des vertus de bon augure.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Personal ethics for daily conduct (sadācāra): cultivating compassion, patience, honesty, cleanliness, and balanced effort.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sadācāra-maṅgala-guṇāḥ (Auspicious virtues)","lookup_keywords":["dayā","kṣānti","ārjava","śauca","anāyāsa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact virtue-list for character formation: compassion, forbearance, straightforwardness, purity, and avoiding needless strain—treated as auspicious qualities."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Maṅgala arises from inner virtues (guṇa) expressed as non-harm, patience, honesty, purity, and measured effort.
Application: Adopt a daily checklist: one act of compassion, one act of patience, truthful speech, bodily/mental cleanliness, and pacing work to avoid burnout.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Sadācāra (Ethics and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm household/royal court scene showing virtues in action: a person offering help to the needy (dayā), enduring insult calmly (kṣānti), speaking plainly (ārjava), bathing/cleaning (śauca), and resting after measured work (anāyāsa).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sequential vignettes around a central seated dharma-figure, warm tones, expressive gestures of compassion and patience, clean water pot and bathing scene, serene faces","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central personification of Dharma with gold halo, surrounding panels depicting dayā/kṣānti/ārjava/śauca/anāyāsa, ornate borders and gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic multi-panel composition with labels for each virtue, soft palette, clear narrative actions (helping, forgiving, truthful speech, cleansing, balanced labor)","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined domestic/court setting, subtle storytelling of virtues through gestures and small scenes, detailed textiles, restrained palette emphasizing calm"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्षान्तिश् चैव = क्षान्तिः + च + एव; तथार्जवम् = तथा + आर्जवम्; चैवमनायासः = च + एव + अनायासः; चापरः = च + अपरः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rājadharma and sadācāra sections listing guṇas and doṣas; Agni Purana: dāna/vrata discussions where dayā and śauca recur
FAQs
It imparts sadācāra-vidyā (practical conduct): cultivate compassion to all beings, patience, sincerity, purity, and a balanced life free from needless strain—treated as auspicious character-qualities.
Alongside rituals and specialized sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies everyday ethical standards (guṇas) that support governance, household life, and spiritual practice—showing its broad, handbook-like scope.
These guṇas purify intention and behavior, reduce harm (hiṃsā) and agitation, and thereby support punya (merit), social harmony, and steadiness for dharma and spiritual progress.