Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 18
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
चतुर्थे पञ्चमे चैव सप्तमे नवमे तथा अस्थिसञ्चयनं कार्यं वर्णानामनुपूर्वशः
caturthe pañcame caiva saptame navame tathā asthisañcayanaṃ kāryaṃ varṇānāmanupūrvaśaḥ
Le quatrième, le cinquième, le septième et le neuvième jour également, on doit accomplir le rite de collecte des os (après la crémation), selon l’ordre prescrit pour les quatre varṇa.
Lord Agni (narrating the rites to a sage, traditionally Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Scheduling and performing asthi-sañcayana (collection of cremation-bones) on prescribed days, with varṇa-wise order as per gṛhya/dharma norms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Asthi-sañcayana: prescribed days and varṇa-order","lookup_keywords":["asthi-sañcayana","antyeṣṭi","4th day 5th day 7th day 9th day","varṇa order","post-cremation rites"],"quick_summary":"Collect the remaining bones after cremation on the 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th days; follow the traditional sequence appropriate to the four varṇas."}
Concept: Saṃskāra as social-religious order: honoring the dead through regulated post-cremation observances.
Application: Maintain calendrical discipline in mourning rites to ensure śuddhi and proper transition of preta-to-pitṛ status in customary frameworks.
Khanda Section: Antyeshti-vidhi (Funeral rites and post-cremation observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Family members at the cremation-ground on a prescribed day, reverently collecting bone-fragments (asthi) into a clean vessel, preparing for later immersion, with a priest guiding the sequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and ochres, solemn antyeṣṭi scene: priest in white guiding asthi-sañcayana, relatives holding a brass vessel with bone-fragments, stylized cremation-ground trees, minimal background, devotional restraint.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style with gold work: ritual scene of asthi collection, priest and yajamāna with ornate borders, gold-highlighted ritual vessels (kalaśa, pātra), dignified faces, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework: instructional depiction of asthi-sañcayana steps—day markers (4/5/7/9) shown as small panels, priest indicating order, labeled ritual items, calm palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed cremation-ground vignette with attendants, priest reading from a palm-leaf, bone collection into a small container, naturalistic trees and ground textures, subdued colors, intimate solemn mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव; वर्णानामनुपूर्वशः = वर्णानाम् + अनुपूर्वशः; अस्थिसञ्चयनम् treated as compound asthi-saṃcayanam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Antyeṣṭi-vidhi context)
FAQs
It prescribes the timing for asthi-sañcayana (post-cremation bone collection)—to be done on the 4th, 5th, 7th, or 9th day—according to the appropriate varṇa-based order.
Alongside theology and myth, the Agni Purana records practical dharma-ritual procedures (samskāras) such as funeral and post-funeral rites, functioning like a ritual manual embedded within a Purāṇic compendium.
Correctly timed asthi-sañcayana is treated as a purificatory duty that supports orderly completion of antyeṣṭi observances, aiding the deceased’s onward rites and the living family’s ritual cleansing.