Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 12
Chapter 172 — “Expiations beginning with the Secret
Rites)” (Rahasya-ādi-prāyaścitta
यथापराह्णे सायाह्णे मध्याह्णे च तथा निशि कायेन मनसा वाचा कृतं पापमजानता
yathāparāhṇe sāyāhṇe madhyāhṇe ca tathā niśi kāyena manasā vācā kṛtaṃ pāpamajānatā
Que ce soit l’après-midi, le soir, à midi ou de nuit: tout péché commis à mon insu par le corps, le mental ou la parole doit être reconnu en vue de l’expiation.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as the Agni Purana’s primary narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Framework for prāyaścitta: enumerate time-slots and the three instruments (body, speech, mind) to acknowledge inadvertent sins and prepare for expiation/japa/vrata.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Tri-karaṇa and time-based acknowledgment of inadvertent sin (ajānatā-kṛta pāpa)","lookup_keywords":["kāya-vāk-manas","aparāhṇa","madhyāhna","sāyāhna","ajānatā pāpa"],"quick_summary":"A checklist-style confession: sins done unknowingly at any time of day/night and by any instrument are to be owned for expiation, enabling systematic prāyaścitta."}
Concept: Comprehensive moral responsibility across time and tri-karaṇa; even ajñāta (unintentional) faults are brought into awareness for cleansing.
Application: Daily self-review at sandhyā times; pair acknowledgment with corrective acts (japa, dāna, vrata, kṣamā-yācñā) according to capacity.
Khanda Section: Prayashchitta & Papa-nivarana (Atonement and removal of sin)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner marks the day’s divisions—midday, afternoon, evening, night—while reflecting on actions of body, speech, and mind, preparing for expiation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: symbolic clock of sun positions (madhyāhna, aparāhṇa, sāyāhna) and moonlit night, a devotee with palm-leaf notes, tri-karaṇa icons (hand, speech scroll, mind lotus) in traditional border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: devotional-ritual tableau with gold-highlighted sun and moon emblems above, devotee seated with japa-mālā and water vessel, ornate frame emphasizing āhnika divisions.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional panel style—four time segments illustrated with subtle landscape lighting changes; side icons for kāya-vāk-manas; clean composition for teaching prāyaścitta routine.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: sequential vignette layout showing the same devotee at midday, afternoon, evening, and night, each with distinct sky tones; fine calligraphy noting kāya-vāk-manas."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यथापराह्णे = यथा + पराह्णे (सन्धि/संयोग). पापमजानता = पापम् + अजानता (म् + अ → म).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 172 (prāyaścitta mantras and confessional verses)
FAQs
It classifies inadvertent sin by time (midday/evening/afternoon/night) and by the three instruments of action—body, speech, and mind—forming the basis for prescribing appropriate prāyaścitta (expiation).
It exemplifies the Agni Purana’s dharma-practicality: alongside theology and ritual, it systematizes ethical and legal-religious categories (types of wrongdoing and their loci), which are used to structure atonement procedures.
It teaches that karmic fault can arise even without intent and therefore should be consciously recognized and purified, emphasizing vigilance and inner accountability across body, speech, and mind.