Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
अष्टाहेन तु शूद्रस्य द्वादशाहादतः परं स्त्रीणां विशुद्धिरुदिता स्नानमात्रेण वै पितुः
aṣṭāhena tu śūdrasya dvādaśāhādataḥ paraṃ strīṇāṃ viśuddhiruditā snānamātreṇa vai pituḥ
शूद्र की शुद्धि आठ दिन में कही गई है; स्त्रियों की शुद्धि बारह दिन के बाद और आगे होती है; पर पिता की शुद्धि केवल स्नान से ही मानी गई है।
Lord Agni (narrating Purana-dharma to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determining the duration and method of śauca (purificatory observance) after a death/birth impurity (āśauca) for different social categories and relations, guiding when one may resume daily rites, temple entry, and domestic rituals.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Āśauca-śuddhi kāla: Śūdra, strī, pitṛ (snānamātra)","lookup_keywords":["āśauca","śauca","śuddhi-kāla","snānamātra","sapinda/kinship"],"quick_summary":"Sets time-based purification rules: a Śūdra’s śuddhi after eight days, women after twelve days, while the father’s purification is achieved by bathing alone in the stated context."}
Concept: Ritual purity is regulated by relation (pitṛ) and social duty, with graded observances to restore eligibility for rites.
Application: Use the stated durations to schedule śrāddha-related restrictions, cooking/serving rules, and resumption of nitya-karma; apply snāna as the minimal purifier where specified.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ashaucha & Shaucha: rules of impurity and purification)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household in mourning observing āśauca: women and kin seated apart, a father performing a purificatory bath, with ritual vessels and a simple domestic shrine kept untouched.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat vibrant colors, a traditional South Indian household courtyard, father at a bathing spot with brass pot, women in mourning attire seated aside, subtle sacred thread details, calm dharma-instruction mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style with gold leaf accents, domestic śauca scene: father bathing with ornate brass kumbha, minimal background, decorative borders, emphasis on ritual purity symbolism.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework: instructional depiction of śauca durations written on palm-leaf beside figures, father bathing, women observing restraint, clean architectural interior.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic interior with courtyard water basin, father bathing, attendants holding towels, women seated in a separate area, marginal notes indicating day counts (8, 12)."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्वादशाहादतः → द्वादशाहात् + अतः; विशुद्धिरुदिता → विशुद्धिः + उदिता; स्नानमात्रेण वै → स्नानमात्रेण + वै.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Āśauca-śauca prakaraṇa); Agni Purana sections on śrāddha and antyeṣṭi (funerary rites)
FAQs
It gives ashaucha–shuddhi timings: the period after which ritual purity is regained for a Śūdra (eight days), for women (twelve days and thereafter), and states that the father’s purification may be completed by a simple bath.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana compiles practical dharma-shastra material—household and social regulations on impurity and purification—showing its scope as a reference manual for ritual law and daily conduct.
Observing prescribed purification restores adhikāra (eligibility) for worship, offerings, and social rites, ensuring actions are performed in a state of ritual fitness and thus bear proper religious merit.