Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 2
अध्याय १६२ — धर्मशास्त्रकथनम्
Dharmaśāstra Exposition: Authorities, Pravṛtti–Nivṛtti, Upākarman, and Anadhyāya Rules
आपस्तम्बोशनोव्यासाः कात्ययनबृहस्पती गोतमः शङ्खलिखितौ धर्ममेते यथाब्रुवन्
āpastambośanovyāsāḥ kātyayanabṛhaspatī gotamaḥ śaṅkhalikhitau dharmamete yathābruvan
આપસ્તંબ, ઉશનસ, વ્યાસ, કાત્યાયન, બૃહસ્પતિ, ગૌતમ તથા શંખ અને લખિત—એમણે ધર્મને જેમ કહ્યું તેમ જ પ્રગટ કર્યો છે.
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma authorities within the Agni Purana discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Provides an expanded roster of dharma-expositors used to justify legal/ethical rulings; supports jurisprudence, adjudication, and conduct codes by appealing to recognized textual authorities.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Additional Dharma Authorities (Āpastamba to Śaṅkha–Likhita)","lookup_keywords":["āpastamba","uśanas","bṛhaspati","kātyāyana","śaṅkha-likhita"],"quick_summary":"Lists further authoritative teachers/texts for dharma, indicating that dharma is established through a recognized corpus of smṛti and dharma-sūtra traditions."}
Concept: Dharma is articulated through multiple authoritative lineages (dharma-sūtra and smṛti), implying comparative consultation and hierarchy of sources.
Application: In dharma-vicāra (legal/ethical inquiry), corroborate a rule across major authorities (e.g., Āpastamba, Bṛhaspati, Kātyāyana) and apply context-appropriate precedence (ācāra, deśa, āśrama).
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Raja-dharma (Smriti-based jurisprudence and codes of conduct)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A catalog-like tableau of revered lawgivers: each sage seated with a manuscript, arranged in a row as a ‘library of dharma’; a central scroll reads ‘dharma-me te yathābruvan’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, row of sages with distinct attributes (manuscript, rosary, water-pot), stylized palm-leaf texts, warm tones and bold outlines, temple-school ambience","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, multiple sages with gold halos in a tiered composition, ornate manuscript stands, gold embossing highlighting the ‘dharma’ scroll, rich jewel colors","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, neat didactic panel: labeled portraits of Āpastamba, Uśanas, Vyāsa, Kātyāyana, Bṛhaspati, Gautama, Śaṅkha-Likhita; fine lines and soft shading for an encyclopedic feel","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholarly gallery with individual seated figures holding books, architectural niches, delicate calligraphy bands naming each authority, refined detailing and muted palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: āpastambośanovyāsāḥ = āpastamba + uśana + vyāsāḥ (dvandva); kātyayanabṛhaspatī = kātyayana + bṛhaspatī; yathābruvan = yathā + abruvan.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 162 dharma exposition sections that cite smṛti-pramāṇa for aśauca and conduct
FAQs
It identifies authoritative Dharma-śāstra sources (smṛti lawgivers) whose teachings are to be consulted for determining righteous conduct and legal-ethical norms.
By cataloging juristic authorities, the text positions itself as a compendium that integrates Dharma-śāstra (law/ethics) alongside other disciplines, guiding readers to recognized source-text traditions.
Following Dharma as taught by recognized authorities is presented as a means to align action with righteousness, supporting merit (puṇya) and avoiding the karmic consequences of adharma.