Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 15
Chapter 153 — Brahmacarya-āśrama-dharma
The Dharma of the Student Stage
सायं प्रातश् च जुहुयान् नामेध्यं व्यस्तहस्तकं मधु मांस जनैः सार्धं गीतं नृत्यञ्च वै त्यजेत्
sāyaṃ prātaś ca juhuyān nāmedhyaṃ vyastahastakaṃ madhu māṃsa janaiḥ sārdhaṃ gītaṃ nṛtyañca vai tyajet
On doit accomplir l’oblation au feu (homa) le soir et le matin; et l’on doit éviter l’impureté, les actes inconvenants accomplis avec des mains désordonnées (hors du rite), le miel et la viande, la fréquentation des gens par simple indulgence, ainsi que le chant et la danse.
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s instructional voice)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Daily nitya-karma: perform morning/evening homa; maintain purity and restraint by avoiding prohibited foods/behaviors and indulgent social entertainments.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Nitya Homa and Daily Restraints (Prātaḥ-sāyaṃ juhuyāt)","lookup_keywords":["prātaḥ","sāyam","juhuyāt","madhu","māṃsa","gīta-nṛtya-tyāga"],"quick_summary":"Perform homa at dawn and dusk, and preserve ritual purity by avoiding impurity, disorderly conduct, honey and meat, indulgent company, and singing/dancing as distractions from discipline."}
Concept: Sādhana is protected by nitya-karma (homa) and by pratyāhāra-like restraint from sensory entertainments and indulgent company.
Application: Anchor the day with two fixed rites; reduce stimuli (music/dance/indulgent gatherings) during periods of study, vrata, or brahmacarya.
Khanda Section: Puja-vidhi / Nitya-karma (Daily rites and ritual conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brahmacārin performs homa at sunrise and sunset; nearby are symbolic ‘avoid’ motifs: meat, honey pot, reveling crowd, and dancers/musicians kept at a distance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split dawn/dusk scene with agni-kuṇḍa central, brahmacārin offering with ladle, stylized icons of honey pot and meat placed outside a boundary line, musicians/dancers faintly shown beyond the āśrama gate","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, luminous fire altar with gold leaf, two small side panels for morning and evening offerings, prohibition symbols rendered as subdued vignettes, ornate frame emphasizing vrata discipline","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional sequence: (1) prātaḥ homa (2) sāyaṃ homa (3) list of tyāga items illustrated with small precise drawings (madhu, māṃsa, gīta, nṛtya, indulgent company)","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined ritual scene with careful depiction of utensils (sruk/sruva), soft sunset gradient, distant festive gathering contrasted with the ascetic’s quiet focus"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāmedhyaṃ → na + amedhyam; nṛtyañca → nṛtyam + ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 153 (Nitya-karma and prohibitions sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes a nitya-homa schedule (morning and evening oblations) and lists key restraints—avoiding ritually impure acts and indulgent behaviors that disrupt purity and focus required for fire-ritual practice.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana functions as a practical manual: here it codifies daily ritual procedure (nitya-karma) and behavioral discipline (ācāra), showing its coverage of lived religious practice, not only mythic narrative.
By maintaining regular homa and avoiding impurity and distracting indulgences, the practitioner preserves ritual efficacy (śuddhi) and accrues merit through disciplined, sattvic conduct aligned with daily worship.