Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 16
Ācāra
Right Conduct
कार्पासाथि तया भस्म नाक्रामेद् यच्च कुत्सितं अन्तःपुरं वित्तिगृहं परदौत्यं ब्रजेन्न हि
kārpāsāthi tayā bhasma nākrāmed yacca kutsitaṃ antaḥpuraṃ vittigṛhaṃ paradautyaṃ brajenna hi
On ne doit pas enjamber le coton (karpāsa) ni les cendres, ni quoi que ce soit tenu pour impur. En vérité, on ne doit pas entrer dans l’antaḥpura (quartier intérieur des femmes), ni dans la maison des richesses/du trésor, ni se charger du service de messager pour autrui (agir comme agent dans les affaires d’autrui).
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Social prohibitions and etiquette: avoid stepping over certain materials; avoid restricted/private or high-security spaces; avoid acting as another’s agent in dubious errands.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Niṣedha-ācāra: stepping over impure items; avoiding antaḥpura, treasury-house, and paraduṭya","lookup_keywords":["kārpāsa","bhasma","na-ākrāmet","antaḥpura","paradūtya"],"quick_summary":"Do not step over cotton, ashes, or impure things; do not enter women’s inner quarters or treasury/wealth houses; avoid serving as another’s messenger/agent—rules aimed at purity, propriety, and risk-avoidance."}
Concept: Maryādā (boundaries) and śauca: respect restricted spaces and avoid actions that invite suspicion, conflict, or impurity.
Application: Maintain social trust by avoiding private quarters and financial strongrooms; decline being an intermediary in others’ affairs when it risks entanglement.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Sadachara (Ethics of conduct and social prohibitions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A person carefully steps around cotton and ashes on the ground; in the background are guarded doors to the inner quarters and a treasury; a figure declines a messenger’s task, indicating boundary and caution.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; foreground shows cotton tufts and ash heap with the figure stepping aside; background palace doorway with guards labeled antaḥpura and vittigṛha; gesture of refusal to a petitioner requesting paradūtya.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold; ornate palace doors with gold embellishment; devotee figure avoiding stepping over cotton/ash; symbolic ‘no entry’ to inner quarters and treasury; moral clarity through icon-like arrangement.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style; clean instructional scene: ground objects (cotton, ash) marked as to-be-avoided; architectural cutaway showing restricted zones; a small vignette of refusing messenger service.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; palace courtyard with guards; cotton bales and ash from a hearth; protagonist stepping around; courtier asking him to carry a message, he politely declines; rich textile detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाक्रामेत् = न + आक्रामेत्; यच्च = यत् + च; ब्रजेन्न = ब्रजेत् + न. The token ‘अथि’ appears as a rare/variant particle in this edition; segmentation kept as given.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: sadācāra prohibitions lists; Agni Purana: rājadharma on palace protocol and security
FAQs
It teaches sadācāra (normative conduct): avoiding stepping over ritually/ socially impure items (cotton, ashes, censured objects) and avoiding sensitive spaces or roles (women’s quarters, treasuries, and acting as others’ agent) that can lead to impurity, suspicion, or ethical compromise.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical dharma material—social etiquette, purity norms, and governance-adjacent cautions (restricted areas like treasuries; avoiding intermediary roles)—showing its wide coverage of day-to-day law and conduct.
Avoiding censured objects and compromising situations is framed as protecting purity (śauca) and reputation, thereby reducing occasions for sin (pāpa), social conflict, and karmic entanglement arising from impropriety or suspicion.