Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 7
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
गवार्थे ब्राह्मणार्थे वा सद्यः प्राणान् परित्यजेत् प्रास्येदात्मानमग्नौ वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
gavārthe brāhmaṇārthe vā sadyaḥ prāṇān parityajet prāsyedātmānamagnau vā mucyate brahmahatyayā
गाय के हित के लिए या ब्राह्मण के हित के लिए तुरंत प्राण त्याग देना चाहिए; अथवा अग्नि में अपने को डाल दे—ऐसे आत्मोत्सर्ग से ब्रह्महत्या के पाप से मुक्ति होती है।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Defines an extreme prāyaścitta for brahmahatyā: self-sacrifice for protecting a cow or a brāhmaṇa, including death by entering fire, framed as expiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Brahmahatyā-niṣkṛti by Self-Sacrifice (Go/Brāhmaṇa-artha)","lookup_keywords":["brahmahatyā","go-rakṣaṇa","brāhmaṇa-rakṣaṇa","ātma-tyāga","agnipraveśa"],"quick_summary":"For the gravest sin of brahmin-slaying, the text states a drastic release: giving up one’s life for the protection of a cow or a brāhmaṇa, or entering fire as self-offering."}
Concept: Prāyaścitta proportionality: the heaviest pāpa is countered by the highest personal cost; dharma prioritizes protection of go and brāhmaṇa as civilizational supports.
Application: Highlights the ethical hierarchy and the idea that restitution may demand radical renunciation; in practice, later dharma-nibandhas often interpret such statements within broader legal-ritual frameworks.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prāyaścitta (Expiations and legal-religious atonements)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent, overwhelmed by guilt, approaches a blazing sacrificial fire; nearby a cow and a brāhmaṇa are shown as the protected ideals, with witnesses in a ritual setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic agni-kunda flames stylized, penitent in simple cloth, cow and brāhmaṇa rendered iconically, strong reds and blacks, solemn faces, minimal depth","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central agni with gold highlights, penitent poised in surrender, cow and brāhmaṇa framed with ornate arches, heavy gilding to emphasize sacred gravity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, controlled composition: fire altar, ritual implements, penitent gesture of offering, explanatory clarity, soft colors and fine ornamentation","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed fire altar and attendants, penitent at threshold of flames, cow and learned brāhmaṇa in the background, architectural courtyard, nuanced expressions"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gavārthe = go-arthe; brāhmaṇārthe = brāhmaṇa-arthe; prāsyedātmānamagnau = prāsyet + ātmānam + agnau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (brahmahatyā penances; subsequent verses on skull-bearing and long observances)
FAQs
It prescribes a prāyaścitta (expiatory discipline) for brahmahatyā: immediate self-sacrifice—especially undertaken for the protection of a cow or a Brāhmaṇa—or self-immolation, as a means of karmic release.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana includes dharma-legal material: classifications of grave sins and their remedies, functioning like a practical handbook of religious law (prāyaścitta) within a broader compendium.
It frames brahmahatyā as a mahāpātaka (great sin) and teaches that extreme self-offering, especially in defense of sacred life (cow/Brāhmaṇa), can sever the karmic bondage and grant purification.