Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 6
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
वर्णाश्रमाणां सामान्यं धर्माधर्मं समीरितं यजनं याजनं दानं वेदाद्यध्यापनक्रिया
varṇāśramāṇāṃ sāmānyaṃ dharmādharmaṃ samīritaṃ yajanaṃ yājanaṃ dānaṃ vedādyadhyāpanakriyā
वर्णों और आश्रमों के लिए सामान्य धर्म-अधर्म कहा गया है—यज्ञ करना, दूसरों के लिए यज्ञ कराना, दान देना तथा वेद आदि का अध्ययन‑अध्यापन।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, traditionally narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Codifies shared varṇāśrama duties used to guide personal conduct, priestly roles, and education policy in a community (who may study/teach, who may officiate, norms of dāna and yajña).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāmānya-varṇāśrama-dharma: yajña, yājana, dāna, vedādhyayana-adhyāpana","lookup_keywords":["varnashrama","yajna","yajana","dana","vedadhyayana"],"quick_summary":"States the common dharma-framework across varṇas/āśramas: sacrificial performance and officiation, charity, and disciplined Vedic study/teaching. Useful as a checklist for orthodox social-religious duties."}
Concept: Dharma is sustained through yajña (ritual reciprocity), dāna (redistribution), and vidyā (Vedic transmission) as shared social pillars.
Application: Use as a community dharma charter: maintain ritual institutions, ensure qualified teaching lineages, and normalize charity as social support.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Varṇāśrama-dharma and Vedic duties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-assembly scene: a learned brāhmaṇa teacher recites Veda to students; nearby a yajña-śālā with fire altar; householders offer dāna to a recipient; an officiating priest guides the rite.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, flat iconic figures: guru-brāhmaṇa teaching Veda to śiṣyas with palm-leaf manuscripts, yajña-kuṇḍa with agni, dāna scene with respectful gestures, ornamental borders, serene didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf: central yajña scene with agni and priests, flanking panels of Vedic teaching and charity-giving, rich textiles, stylized faces, embossed gold ornaments, temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate lines and soft colors: instructional tableau showing steps—study/teaching, sacrifice, officiation, charity—each vignette labeled, calm scholarly ambience.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly dharma-sabha with a pandit explaining duties, detailed architecture, small yajña pavilion in background, donors and recipients in fine garments, meticulous detailing and perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्माधर्मम् → धर्म-अधर्मम् (द्वन्द्व); वेदाद्यध्यापनक्रिया → वेद-आदि-अध्यापन-क्रिया; समीरितम् is kta-kridanta used predicatively with implied ‘(एतत्) … समीरितम्’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana varṇāśrama-dharma sections in the same adhyāya/khanda; Agni Purana rājadharma/nīti passages that depend on varṇa duties
FAQs
It enumerates core dharma-practices tied to Vedic ritual and social duty: conducting yajña, serving as officiating priest for others (yājana), practicing dāna (charitable giving), and maintaining Vedic learning through teaching/study.
By codifying a compact list of normative obligations—ritual performance, priestly function, charity, and Vedic education—it shows the text’s dharma-śāstra dimension alongside its many other disciplines, mapping how society sustains religion and knowledge transmission.
These acts are presented as foundational purifying duties: yajña aligns one with sacred order, yājana supports communal worship, dāna reduces possessiveness and accrues merit, and Vedic teaching/study preserves śruti-based dharma—collectively shaping karma toward religious merit and social harmony.