Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 1
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
इत्य् आग्नेये महापुराणे शावाशौचं नाम सप्तपञ्चाशदाधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथाष्टपञ्चाशदधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः स्रावाद्यशौचं पुष्कर उवाच स्रावाशौचं प्रवक्ष्यामि मन्वादिमुनिसम्मतं सिद्धार्थकैस्तिलैर् विप्रान् यजद्वासो ऽपरं दधदिति घ , ङ , ञ च सिद्धार्थस्तिलैर् विद्वान् स्नायाद्वासो ऽपरं दधदिति ग , ट च रात्रिभिर्मासतुल्याभिर्गर्भस्रावे त्र्यहेण या
ity āgneye mahāpurāṇe śāvāśaucaṃ nāma saptapañcāśadādhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ athāṣṭapañcāśadadhikaśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ srāvādyaśaucaṃ puṣkara uvāca srāvāśaucaṃ pravakṣyāmi manvādimunisammataṃ siddhārthakaistilair viprān yajadvāso 'paraṃ dadhaditi gha , ṅa , ña ca siddhārthastilair vidvān snāyādvāso 'paraṃ dadhaditi ga , ṭa ca rātribhirmāsatulyābhirgarbhasrāve tryaheṇa yā
Ainsi, dans l’Agni Mahāpurāṇa s’achève le cent cinquante-septième chapitre, intitulé « Śāvāśauca » (impureté due à un cadavre). Commence maintenant le cent cinquante-huitième chapitre, « Srāvādya-śauca » (impureté due aux écoulements corporels et autres). Puṣkara dit : « J’exposerai l’aśauca (impureté) née du srāva (écoulement), approuvée par Manu et les autres sages. Avec des graines de moutarde blanche (siddhārthaka) et de sésame (tila), il convient d’honorer les brāhmaṇa ; et, après le bain, de revêtir d’autres vêtements propres — telle est la leçon variante de certaines recensions. Dans le cas du garbha-srāva (écoulement lié à la grossesse, c’est-à-dire fausse couche/saignement), l’impureté est de trois nuits ; dans les autres cas, elle se calcule en nuits équivalant à un mois, selon la règle énoncée. »
Puṣkara
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determines aśauca arising from bodily discharge (especially miscarriage/bleeding), including purification materials, clothing change, and time-count (three nights for garbha-srāva).","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Srāvādya-aśauca: garbha-srāva tri-rātra and siddhārthaka-tila śuddhi","lookup_keywords":["srāva-aśauca","garbha-srāva","tri-rātra","siddhārthaka","tila"],"quick_summary":"Introduces rules for impurity due to discharges, citing Manu-tradition; prescribes mustard/sesame-based purification with fresh garments, and fixes miscarriage-related impurity as three nights."}
Concept: Smṛti-sammati (Manu and sages) as pramāṇa for social-ritual regulation of bodily liminality.
Application: Use the stated time-counts and cleansing acts to determine when one may resume worship, hospitality, and ritual eligibility after discharge events.
Khanda Section: Dharma-śāstra / Śuddhi-vidhi (Aśauca and ritual purity rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Puṣkara introduces a new chapter on discharge-related impurity, referencing Manu; a ritual scene shows bathing with mustard and sesame, honoring brāhmaṇas, and changing into fresh garments; a calendar motif indicates three nights for miscarriage-related impurity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sage Puṣkara teaching seated with palm-leaf manuscript, beside him a household purification scene with siddhārthaka and tila, brāhmaṇas being honored, three-night markers shown symbolically, restrained palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, Puṣkara as central teacher with gold halo-like ornamentation, ritual vessels and sesame/mustard bowls highlighted with gold work, brāhmaṇas receiving honor, decorative ‘tri-rātra’ motif.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: text-banner ‘srāvāśauca’, stepwise icons—honor brāhmaṇas, bathe with mustard/sesame, change clothes; a three-night count diagram for garbha-srāva.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly assembly with Puṣkara citing Manu, adjacent domestic courtyard purification scene, fine detail on garments and vessels, subtle narrative of three nights indicated by moon phases."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ity āgneye → इति + आग्नेये; 'dhyāyaḥ → अध्यायः (अ + ध्यायः) with avagraha; naiva etc not present here; yajadvāso 'paraṃ → यजत् + वासः + अपरम्; snāyādvāso 'paraṃ → स्नायात् + वासः + अपरम्; rātribhirmāsatulyābhirgarbhasrāve → रात्रिभिः + मासतुल्याभिः + गर्भस्रावे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 157 (śāvāśauca); Agni Purana 158.2 (time-count variations)
FAQs
It introduces Srāvādya-śauca—rules of ritual impurity due to bodily discharge—and prescribes purification actions such as bathing, changing into fresh clothes, and honouring brāhmaṇas using items like sesame and white mustard.
Alongside theology and myth, the Agni Purana preserves practical Dharma-śāstra guidance: time-bound impurity calculations (by nights), case distinctions (garbha-srāva), and concrete ritual materials (tila, siddhārthaka), reflecting its compendium-like scope.
The verse frames bodily-discharge impurity as a condition requiring śuddhi (purification) so that domestic and Vedic rites may be resumed without fault; the prescribed bathing, fresh clothing, and honouring of brāhmaṇas function as corrective measures to restore ritual eligibility and religious merit.