Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 30
Yati-dharma
The Dharma of the Renunciate Ascetic
भावशुद्धश् च ब्रह्माण्डं भित्त्वा ब्रह्म भवेन्नरः आषढ्यां पौर्णमास्याञ्च चातुर्मास्यं व्रतञ्चरेत्
bhāvaśuddhaś ca brahmāṇḍaṃ bhittvā brahma bhavennaraḥ āṣaḍhyāṃ paurṇamāsyāñca cāturmāsyaṃ vratañcaret
Avec une disposition intérieure purifiée, l’homme—perçant (c’est-à-dire transcendant) le brahmāṇḍa, « l’œuf cosmique »—devient un avec Brahman. Au jour de pleine lune d’Āṣāḍha, il doit entreprendre le vœu de Cāturmāsya.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana instructions to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Calendar-based observance: begin Cāturmāsya on Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā with inner purification (bhāva-śuddhi), using the vow as a structured discipline for restraint, worship, and study through the rainy season.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cāturmāsya Vrata Commencement on Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā","lookup_keywords":["cāturmāsya","āṣāḍha-paurṇamāsī","bhāva-śuddhi","vrata","brahmāṇḍa-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes starting the Cāturmāsya vow on the full moon of Āṣāḍha, emphasizing inner purity as the means to transcend worldly limitation and orient life toward Brahman-realization."}
Concept: Bhāva-śuddhi (purity of intention/inner disposition) as the decisive factor enabling ‘brahmāṇḍa-bheda’—transcending conditioned existence toward Brahman.
Application: Treat the vow as a container for mind-training: regulate food, speech, travel, and sensuality; increase japa, dāna, svādhyāya, and pūjā across the four months.
Khanda Section: Vrata-Dharma (Purification vows and calendrical observances)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Calendar/Seasonal observance
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder or ascetic begins Cāturmāsya on Āṣāḍha full moon: moonlit riverbank/temple courtyard, vow-taking with water-pot, lamp, and offerings; symbolic cosmic egg shown as a translucent sphere being ‘pierced’ by a ray of insight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, full moon over temple tank, devotee taking saṅkalpa with pañcapātra, priests nearby, stylized brahmāṇḍa as an oval cosmic form split by a white beam, rich ochres and greens, ritual objects clearly rendered","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure taking vrata-saṅkalpa before Viṣṇu/Śiva altar, gold moon-disc and ornate arch, embossed ritual vessels, inscriptions of ‘Cāturmāsya’, luminous devotional setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional layout: calendar mark ‘Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā’, devotee seated with guru, neat depiction of saṅkalpa, lamp, water, flowers; soft colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, moonlit courtyard with scholar-priest reading almanac, devotee making vow, delicate architecture, monsoon clouds gathering, subtle allegory of cosmic sphere pierced by a thin golden line"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhāvaśuddhaś ca = bhāvaśuddhaḥ + ca; bhavennaraḥ = bhavet + naraḥ; paurṇamāsyāñca = paurṇamāsyām + ca; vratañcaret = vratam + caret.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vrata-khaṇḍa passages on Cāturmāsya and monthly observances around 161; Agni Purana sections on purification (śauca) and prāyaścitta linked to vrata practice
FAQs
It specifies the calendrical trigger for the Cāturmāsya vrata: begin the four-month observance on the Āṣāḍha full-moon day, emphasizing inner purity (bhāva-śuddhi) as the operative prerequisite.
It combines metaphysical soteriology (transcending the brahmāṇḍa and attaining Brahman) with practical dharma-ritual scheduling (Āṣāḍha paurṇamāsī as the start of Cāturmāsya), illustrating the Purana’s breadth from philosophy to applied religious practice.
The verse links vow-observance grounded in inner purity to liberation-oriented fruit: disciplined Cāturmāsya practice, undertaken with bhāva-śuddhi, is portrayed as a means toward transcending worldly limitation and approaching Brahman-realization.