Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 1

Chapter 153 — Brahmacarya-āśrama-dharma

The Dharma of the Student Stage

Devanagari script

इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे गृहस्थवृत्तयो नाम व्रिपञ्चाशदधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथ त्रिपञ्चाशदधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः ब्रह्मचर्याश्रमधर्मः पुष्कर उवाच धर्ममाश्रमिणां वक्ष्ये भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं शृणु षोडशर्तुनिशा स्त्रीणामाद्यस्तिस्रस्तु गर्हिताः

Transliteration

ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe gṛhasthavṛttayo nāma vripañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ atha tripañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ brahmacaryāśramadharmaḥ puṣkara uvāca dharmamāśramiṇāṃ vakṣye bhuktimuktipradaṃ śṛṇu ṣoḍaśartuniśā strīṇāmādyastisrastu garhitāḥ

Translation

Ainsi, dans l’Agni Mahāpurāṇa, s’achève le chapitre intitulé « Les observances des maîtres de maison ». Commence maintenant le cent cinquante-troisième chapitre, « Le dharma de l’āśrama de brahmacarya ». Puṣkara dit : « Je vais exposer les devoirs de ceux qui sont établis dans les āśramas — écoutez — des devoirs qui accordent à la fois la jouissance mondaine et la délivrance. Pour les femmes, il y a seize “nuits saisonnières” (nuits fécondes) ; toutefois, les trois premières sont blâmées. »

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• āgneye: in the Agni (Purāṇa)
• āgneye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); used adjectivally with mahāpurāṇe

• mahā-purāṇe: in the Mahāpurāṇa
• mahā-purāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• gṛhastha-vṛttayaḥ: (the) duties/ways of householders
• gṛhastha-vṛttayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘of householder’ + ‘conduct/means’

• nāma: named / called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Naming particle (नाम-शब्दः), ‘called’

• dvi-pañcāśat-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: one hundred and fifty-second
• dvi-pañcāśat-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + pañcāśat (संख्या) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ordinal adjective qualifying adhyāyaḥ; ‘hundred plus fifty-two’ (i.e., 152nd)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• atha: now / then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Discourse particle (अथ), ‘now/then’

• tri-pañcāśat-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: one hundred and fifty-third
• tri-pañcāśat-adhika-śata-tamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या) + pañcāśat (संख्या) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + tama (प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ordinal adjective qualifying adhyāyaḥ; ‘hundred plus fifty-three’ (i.e., 153rd)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmacarya-āśrama-dharmaḥ: the dharma of the brahmacarya stage
• brahmacarya-āśrama-dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa chain: ‘of brahmacarya-āśrama’ + ‘dharma’

• puṣkaraḥ: Puṣkara
• puṣkaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• dharmam: dharma / duty
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• āśramiṇām: of those in āśramas
• āśramiṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśramin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vakṣye: I shall declare
• vakṣye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• bhukti-mukti-pradam: granting enjoyment and liberation
• bhukti-mukti-pradam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhukti (प्रातिपदिक) + mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying dharmam; tatpuruṣa: ‘giving bhukti and mukti’

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ṣoḍaśa-ṛtu-niśāḥ: sixteen nights of the season (fertile period)
• ṣoḍaśa-ṛtu-niśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣoḍaśa (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ṛtu (प्रातिपदिक) + niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘seasonal nights’ with numeral; subject of implied statement

• strīṇām: of women
• strīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ādyāḥ: the first
• ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifies tisraḥ

• tisraḥ: three
• tisraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); numeral ‘three’

• tu: but / indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Adversative/emphatic particle (तु)

• garhītāḥ: are censured / condemned
• garhītāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: garh (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कर्मणि), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with niśāḥ (understood)

Speaker

Puṣkara

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: Tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity āgneye = iti + āgneye; adhyāyaḥ (’dhyāyaḥ) shows avagraha after -o in śatatamo ’dhyāyaḥ; dharmamāśramiṇāṃ = dharmam + āśramiṇām; ṣoḍaśartuniśā = ṣoḍaśa + ṛtu + niśāḥ (ṛtu- initial causes sandhi: ṣoḍaśa + ṛtu → ṣoḍaśar-tu); strīṇāmādyas- = strīṇām + ādyāḥ; tisrastu = tisraḥ + tu.

Characters & Entities

• Agni Mahāpurāṇa
• Puṣkara
• Brahmacarya
• Gṛhastha
• Āśrama-dharma
• Ṛtu-niśā

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It introduces āśrama-dharma as a practical discipline yielding both bhukti and mukti, and states a dharmaśāstric rule about ṛtu-kāla: among the sixteen fertile nights, the first three are to be avoided.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

It shows the Purāṇa functioning like a compendium: it transitions from household conduct to brahmacarya rules and includes social-legal norms (ṛtu-niśā counting) alongside spiritual goals (bhukti/mukti).

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By framing conduct within āśrama-dharma and prescribing restraint (avoiding censured nights), the text links regulated living and purity-oriented discipline with merit, well-being, and progress toward liberation.