Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 14
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
गोष्ठे शयो गो ऽनुगामी गोप्रदानेन शुद्ध्यति कृच्छ्रञ्चैवातिकृच्छ्रं वा पादह्रासो नृपादिषु
goṣṭhe śayo go 'nugāmī gopradānena śuddhyati kṛcchrañcaivātikṛcchraṃ vā pādahrāso nṛpādiṣu
जो गोशाला में सोता है या गौ के पीछे-पीछे चलता/उसमें हस्तक्षेप करता है, वह गौ-दान से शुद्ध होता है। परन्तु राजा आदि से सम्बन्धित विषयों में कृच्छ्र या अतिकृच्छ्र (प्रायश्चित्त) होता है और साथ ही पद-ह्रास (प्रतिष्ठा/अधिकार की हानि) भी होती है।
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Specifies expiation for cow-related transgressions (sleeping in cowshed/following or troubling a cow) via gifting a cow; for offenses involving the king, prescribes kṛcchra/atikṛcchra plus status-loss (pāda-hrāsa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cow-related expiation by go-dāna; royal offenses with kṛcchra/atikṛcchra and pāda-hrāsa","lookup_keywords":["goṣṭha-śayana","go-anugāmī","go-dāna","kṛcchra","pāda-hrāsa"],"quick_summary":"Certain cow-related faults are purified by gifting a cow; offenses connected with the king entail severe penance (kṛcchra/atikṛcchra) and reduction of rank/standing."}
Concept: Restitution (dāna) and austerity (kṛcchra) as complementary tools of purification; heightened gravity for offenses against sovereignty.
Application: Use compensatory giving for certain harms; treat breaches of royal order as requiring both penance and institutional consequences.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Prayashchitta (Atonements and Purificatory Penances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cowshed scene with a person sleeping on straw and then performing go-dāna; a parallel vignette shows a royal court where an offender undergoes austere kṛcchra and is stripped of insignia (pāda-hrāsa).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural split-panel: left cowshed with cow and penitent, right royal sabhā with king and attendant removing a sash/insignia, bold outlines, narrative registers.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central cow-dāna with gold embellishment on cow ornaments, secondary court vignette with gilded throne, emphasis on ritual gifting and authority symbols.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, procedural clarity: depiction of go-dāna steps and kṛcchra austerity (measured food), plus visual cue of rank reduction, fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature diptych: rustic cowshed with detailed animals; court scene with officials recording penalty and removing rank insignia, intricate architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: go 'nugāmī = go + anugāmī (avagraha). kṛcchrañcaiva = kṛcchram + ca + eva (m + c → ñc).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (kṛcchra/atikṛcchra definitions likely nearby); Agni Purana rājadharma passages on daṇḍa and rank
FAQs
It specifies prāyaścitta procedures: certain improprieties involving cows are expiated through go-dāna (cow-gift), while offences connected with royal/public authority require heavier austerities like Kṛcchra or Atikṛcchra, sometimes with a penalty affecting one’s status.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves dharmaśāstra-like material—mapping concrete social acts to graded penances, donations, and civic/royal consequences—showing its wide coverage of law, ethics, and governance.
It teaches that karmic defilement can be countered by disciplined austerity (vrata/penance) and restorative charity (go-dāna), and that harms connected to public authority carry heavier moral weight and thus stricter expiation and social consequence.