Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 10
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
जपित्वा त्रीणि सावित्र्याः सहस्त्राणि समाहितः मासङ्गोष्ठे पयः पीत्वा मुच्यते ऽसत्प्रतिग्रहात्
japitvā trīṇi sāvitryāḥ sahastrāṇi samāhitaḥ māsaṅgoṣṭhe payaḥ pītvā mucyate 'satpratigrahāt
L’esprit concentré, après avoir récité en japa trois mille fois la Sāvitrī (mantra Gāyatrī), et après avoir bu du lait pendant un mois en compagnie des vaches (dans l’étable), on est délivré de la faute d’accepter des dons indus (asat-pratigraha).
Lord Agni (in dialogue tradition of the Agni Purana, instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Provides a concrete expiation for asat-pratigraha (accepting improper gifts): 3000 Sāvitrī japa with concentration plus a month-long milk regimen in a cowshed—usable as a prescriptive penance schedule.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Asat-pratigraha prāyaścitta: 3000 Sāvitrī-japa and goṣṭha milk regimen","lookup_keywords":["asat-pratigraha","Sāvitrī-japa","tri-sahasra","goṣṭha","payaḥ-vrata"],"quick_summary":"To remove the fault of improper gift-acceptance, perform 3000 Sāvitrī repetitions with focus and observe a month of drinking milk while staying in/with the cowshed environment."}
Concept: Ethical fault (mis-receiving gifts) is countered by disciplined speech-mind practice (mantra-japa) and regulated living/diet (vrata).
Application: Adopt a time-bound penance combining mantra count (3000) with a simple sattvic regimen (milk for a month) to cultivate restraint and ritual purification.
Khanda Section: Prayashchitta (Expiation) and Dana-Niyama (Rules of Gifts/Receiving)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Type: Samanya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent sits in a cowshed area, calmly performing japa with focused mind; nearby cows are tended; he drinks measured milk daily for a month as part of expiation for improper gift-acceptance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: cowshed scene with stylized cows, penitent seated on simple mat doing japa with mālā, a vessel of milk beside him, earthy tones, serene austerity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central penitent with gold-highlighted mālā and milk vessel, sacred aura around cows, ornate border, emphasis on purity and restraint.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional depiction—counted japa (3000) indicated by beads, calendar-like month regimen, penitent in goṣṭha setting with clean linework and soft shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed rural cowshed with attendants milking, penitent scholar reciting softly, naturalistic cows, delicate architecture and landscape, subdued contemplative palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मासङ्गोष्ठे → मास-गोष्ठे (अत्र ‘ङ्’ अनुस्वार/परसवर्ण-लिप्यन्तर); मुच्यते ऽसत्प्रतिग्रहात् → मुच्यते + असत्-प्रतिग्रहात्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: mantra sections on Sāvitrī/Gāyatrī japa counts; Agni Purana: prāyaścitta-khaṇḍa on pratigraha faults and remedies; Agni Purana: go-dāna/go-sevā related merit discussions
FAQs
It prescribes a specific prāyaścitta: 3,000 recitations of the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) with mental concentration, combined with a month-long observance of drinking milk while staying among cows (goṣṭha), to neutralize the impurity of asat-pratigraha (improper acceptance of gifts).
By documenting a concrete, procedural expiation that blends mantra-practice (japa) with a regulated vow (dietary and place-based observance), it exemplifies the Agni Purana’s catalog-like coverage of dharma topics—especially dana-nīti (ethics of giving/receiving) and ritual remedies for moral-ritual transgressions.
The verse frames improper acceptance of gifts as a binding fault and teaches that disciplined japa plus a purifying cow-associated vow can remove that karmic taint, restoring ritual purity and ethical standing.