Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 10
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
मौञ्जीबन्धनतो जन्म विप्रादेश् च द्वितीयकं आनुलोम्येन वर्णानां जातिर्मातृसमा स्मृता
mauñjībandhanato janma viprādeś ca dvitīyakaṃ ānulomyena varṇānāṃ jātirmātṛsamā smṛtā
मौञ्जी‑बन्धन (उपनयन) से (द्विज का) जन्म होता है और ब्राह्मण के उपदेश से दूसरा जन्म; आनुलोम्य (नियमित क्रम) में वर्णों की जाति माता के समान मानी गई है।
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Clarifies social-legal definitions: dvija status via upanayana (muñjā-bandhana) and learning via brāhmaṇa instruction; states a rule about jāti attribution in ānulomya unions—used in lineage/eligibility discussions in traditional law.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dvija-janma (upanayana) and jāti-nirṇaya in ānulomya unions","lookup_keywords":["munja bandhana","upanayana","dvija janma","anulomya","jati"],"quick_summary":"Defines ‘birth’ as dvija through upanayana and a further ‘birth’ through instruction; adds a rule for jāti remembrance in regular-order unions. Serves as a legal-ritual criterion for eligibility and social classification."}
Concept: Saṃskāra and vidyā confer social-religious identity: initiation (upanayana) and teaching lineage shape ‘second birth’ and eligibility.
Application: Ritual administration: determine who may undertake Vedic rites by saṃskāra and instruction; apply lineage rules cautiously within the text’s traditional legal frame.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dharma-śāstra (Varṇa-Jāti-Nīti / Social-Legal Definitions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Upanayana ceremony: a boy receives the muñjā girdle and sacred thread; a brāhmaṇa guru instructs him (initiation into learning). A secondary vignette shows a family lineage register being consulted for jāti determination.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: upanayana scene with guru tying muñjā and yajñopavīta, fire altar nearby, palm-leaf manuscript in guru’s hand indicating instruction; calm, formal composition with traditional ornaments.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central upanayana with gold-embossed sacred thread and ornaments; guru seated on āsana, student in humble posture; background shows manuscript and ritual vessels; rich gold work and temple arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: precise instructional painting of upanayana steps—muñjā-bandhana, guru-upadeśa—clean linework, labeled ritual items (mekhalā, daṇḍa, kamaṇḍalu), soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: domestic courtyard upanayana with detailed textiles and architecture; guru teaching from manuscript; attendants and family present; a clerk-like figure with a register suggesting lineage/jāti record."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विप्रादेश् च → विप्र-आदेशः च (visarga sandhi); जातिर्मातृसमा → जातिः मातृ-समाः; मौञ्जीबन्धनतो → मौञ्जी-बन्धनतः; आनुलोम्येन treated as instrumental used adverbially.
Related Themes: Agni Purana saṃskāra-related passages (upanayana, ācāra); Agni Purana varṇāśrama definitions earlier/later in the same dharma section
FAQs
It defines dvija-status through upanayana (muñjā-girdle tying) and connects a ‘second birth’ to brahminical instruction, while also stating a rule for jāti determination in anuloma unions.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves Dharma-śāstra style social-legal definitions—upanayana’s role, educational authority, and norms for inter-varṇa unions—showing its wide coverage of governance and societal regulation.
By locating ‘second birth’ in saṃskāra and disciplined learning, it frames spiritual eligibility and responsibility as arising from purification rites and guided study, not merely physical birth.