Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 31
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
जन्मनामस्मृते वैतत् तत्परं गोत्रमुच्यते विगतन्तु विदेशस्थं शृणुयाद्यो ह्य् अनिर्दशं
janmanāmasmṛte vaitat tatparaṃ gotramucyate vigatantu videśasthaṃ śṛṇuyādyo hy anirdaśaṃ
Lorsqu’on se remémore (ou énonce) le nom de naissance, le gotra doit être déclaré en conséquence. Mais si la personne est partie et demeure en pays étranger, on doit l’apprendre en l’entendant de celui qu’on appelle anirdaśa, c’est‑à‑dire non désignable comme témoin direct.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, per the common Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Procedure for establishing/declaring gotra and identity in administrative-legal or ritual contexts, especially when the person is abroad/absent; indicates reliance on testimony/hearsay from an ‘anirdeśa’ source when direct identification is unavailable.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Gotra Determination via Birth-name and Indirect Testimony (Anirdeśa)","lookup_keywords":["gotra","janma-nāma","pramāṇa","deśāntara","anirdeśa"],"quick_summary":"Gotra is declared based on the recalled birth-name; if the person is abroad, it should be ascertained through indirect hearing/testimony when direct pointing-out is not possible."}
Concept: Social-ritual identity (gotra) is maintained through name-memory and acceptable epistemic means (hearing/testimony) when direct evidence is absent.
Application: In rites requiring gotra (saṅkalpa, śrāddha, marriage preliminaries), use birth-name linkage; if absent/abroad, accept mediated testimony per rule.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Samajika-Vyavahara (Lineage, identity, and social designation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual officiant or village scribe records a person’s birth-name and declares gotra; in a parallel vignette, the person is shown abroad while locals ascertain identity through a messenger/witness who cannot directly point the person out.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split scene: left—scribe/priest with palm-leaf manuscript noting janma-nāma and gotra; right—traveler in distant land, messenger relaying testimony, warm earthy tones, clear narrative panels.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central priest holding manuscript, decorative text cartouche for ‘gotra’, side panel with distant traveler, gold borders emphasizing formal declaration.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional tableau: labeled elements ‘janma-nāma’, ‘gotra’, ‘śruti (hearing)’, clean composition like a manual illustration, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, administrative court scene with clerk and witnesses, travel vignette with caravan and foreign cityscape, meticulous costume and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gotramucyate = gotram + ucyate; vigatantu = vigatam + tu; h(y) = hi with sandhi before vowel; janmanāmasmṛte treated as dvandva compound phrase.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (deśāntara exceptions; śauca and social procedure context)
FAQs
It gives a procedural rule for stating/ascertaining a person’s gotra based on the remembered birth-name, with an alternate method when the person is absent or abroad.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical norms of social-legal identification (gotra, naming, testimony/ascertainment), reflecting the Purana’s coverage of governance and customary law alongside ritual and myth.
Correct gotra-identification supports accuracy in rites and social duties (saṃskāras, offerings, formal declarations), reducing ritual error and maintaining dharmic order.