Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 2
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
रागाद् द्वेषात् प्रमादाच्च स्वतः परत एव वा ब्राह्मणं घातयेद्यस्तु स भवेद्ब्रह्मघातकः
rāgād dveṣāt pramādācca svataḥ parata eva vā brāhmaṇaṃ ghātayedyastu sa bhavedbrahmaghātakaḥ
जो व्यक्ति राग, द्वेष या प्रमाद से—अपने हाथ से या किसी अन्य के द्वारा—किसी ब्राह्मण का वध कराता है, वह ब्रह्मघातक कहलाता है।
Lord Agni (narrating dharma and expiation teachings to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Establishes culpability for brahmin-killing regardless of motive (rāga/dveṣa/pramāda) and regardless of direct or indirect agency, guiding prosecution and expiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Brahma-ghātaka — killing a brāhmaṇa by self or proxy","lookup_keywords":["brahma-ghātaka","brāhmaṇa-vadha","rāga","dveṣa","pramāda"],"quick_summary":"Killing a brāhmaṇa—by one’s own hand or through another, whether from passion, hatred, or negligence—constitutes brahmahatyā. Motive and delegation do not remove the core guilt."}
Concept: Agency includes instigation and indirect causation; negligence (pramāda) is morally operative, not merely intention.
Application: In adjudication and self-assessment, include delegated violence and negligent causation when determining sin and required expiation.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prayaschitta (Sin, Crime, and Expiation)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral-legal tableau: a brāhmaṇa victim, an aggressor acting directly, and another figure giving orders from behind—showing both direct and proxy killing; labels for rāga, dveṣa, pramāda as inner impulses.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symbolic personifications of rāga/dveṣa/pramāda near the perpetrator, brāhmaṇa with sacred thread, dramatic but stylized restraint, strong outlines, traditional color blocks","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central brāhmaṇa figure with serene aura, perpetrator and instigator flanking, gold foil highlighting the sacred thread and dharma symbols, rich reds and greens","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic split-scene: left ‘svataḥ’ (direct act), right ‘parataḥ’ (through another), clear captions in Devanagari, soft shading and precise linework","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative scene with an instigator whispering to a hired killer, brāhmaṇa scholar in simple white, architectural backdrop, fine detailing and subdued palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pramādācca → pramādāt ca; ghātayedyastu → ghātayet yaḥ tu; bhavedbrahmaghātakaḥ → bhavet brahma-ghātakaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (continuation: accomplice liability; coercion/suicide causation; exceptions)
FAQs
It defines the legal-ritual category of brahmahatyā by extending culpability to both direct killing and causing killing through another, including motive-based (rāga/dveṣa) and negligence-based (pramāda) acts.
It preserves a dharma-legal principle of responsibility (direct vs. indirect agency) within a Purāṇic compendium that also covers ritual, polity, medicine, and arts—showing the text’s broad coverage of normative law and expiation.
It teaches that the gravest sin of brahmahatyā arises not only from intentional violence but also from negligent or indirect causation, emphasizing comprehensive karmic accountability.