Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 4
अध्याय ११७ — श्राद्धकल्पः
The Procedure for Śrāddha
सम्पाद्य परमर्क्षे चेति छ आचारसंस्कृतानिति ग , ज च वर्जयेच्छित्रिकुष्ठ्यादीन्न गृह्णीयान्निमन्त्रितान् स्नाताञ्छुचींस् तथा दान्तान् प्राङ्मुखान् देवकर्मणि
sampādya paramarkṣe ceti cha ācārasaṃskṛtāniti ga , ja ca varjayecchitrikuṣṭhyādīnna gṛhṇīyānnimantritān snātāñchucīṃs tathā dāntān prāṅmukhān devakarmaṇi
Après avoir dûment organisé le rite, dans l’action rituelle consacrée aux dieux on doit éviter les personnes atteintes de maladies de peau telles que le citrakuṣṭha et autres semblables. On ne doit pas admettre ceux qui n’ont pas été correctement invités ; au contraire, on doit admettre ceux qui se sont baignés, sont purs, maîtrisés, et assis face à l’est pour l’accomplissement des rites divins.
Lord Agni (in dialogue traditionally addressed to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Specifies exclusion criteria (notably certain skin diseases) and inclusion criteria (properly invited, bathed, clean, self-controlled, east-facing) for participants/recipients in deva-karman/śrāddha-related ritual seating and eligibility.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Doṣa-parihāra in ritual: excluding kuṣṭha-afflicted; śauca and prāṅmukhatva","lookup_keywords":["citra-kuṣṭha","nimantrita","śauca","dānta","prāṅmukha"],"quick_summary":"Avoid inviting/accepting persons with disqualifying skin diseases (e.g., citrakuṣṭha) and those not properly invited; accept those who are bathed, pure, self-controlled, and seated facing east for the rite."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Śauca (purity), niyama (self-restraint), and proper saṃskāra (invitation/eligibility) safeguard ritual integrity; doṣa (defect) in pātra harms intended phala.
Application: Screen invitees for eligibility, confirm formal invitation, require bath/clean attire, and seat participants facing east to align with prescribed ritual orientation.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi (Deva-karmānuṣṭhāna / Ritual Procedure and Eligibility)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual hall where the host selects properly invited, bathed, disciplined brāhmaṇas seated facing east; a separate figure with visible skin lesions is respectfully excluded from participation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: east-facing seated brāhmaṇas on darbha mats, host with water-pot and offerings; clear directional cue with rising sun in the east; excluded figure at edge with stylized skin markings, subdued tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: orderly row of purified invitees with gold-highlighted ritual vessels; prominent eastward sun motif; exclusion shown subtly at margin, ornate gold borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional diagram-like scene—seating orientation arrows to the east, labels for snāta/śuci/dānta; a crossed-out figure representing citrakuṣṭha doṣa; clean, didactic composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed interior with carpeted seating aligned east; host verifying invitation tokens; subtle portrayal of excluded diseased person outside the threshold; fine architectural and textile detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वर्जयेच्छित्रिकुष्ठ्यादीन् → वर्जयेत् + चित्रिकुष्ठ्यादीन् (त् + च् → च्छ्); गृहीयात्/गृह्णीयात् in text appears as गृह्णीयान् (sandhi/orthographic), taken as गृह्णीयात्; स्नाताञ्छुचींस् → स्नातान् + शुचीन् (न् + श् → ञ्छ्). Text includes variant-reading markers (छ/ग/ज) treated as editorial notes, not padas.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 117 (rules on invitation, seating, and pātra-doṣa); Agni Purana śauca/ācāra related passages in ritual sections
FAQs
It gives practical eligibility rules for participants in deity-rituals: exclude those with certain skin diseases, accept only properly invited persons, and require bathing, cleanliness, self-restraint, and east-facing posture.
It preserves procedural ritual law—covering purity, invitation protocol, and directional seating—showing the text’s breadth beyond mythology into applied dharma and temple/household worship practice.
It frames devakarma as requiring śauca (purity) and niyama (discipline), implying that correct participants and proper purity protect the rite’s efficacy and merit while avoiding ritual impediments (doṣa).