Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 55
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
अपो नः शोशुचिदयं दशाहञ्च सुतो ऽर्पयेत् ब्राह्मणे दशपिण्डाः स्युः क्षत्रिये द्वादश स्मृताः
apo naḥ śośucidayaṃ daśāhañca suto 'rpayet brāhmaṇe daśapiṇḍāḥ syuḥ kṣatriye dvādaśa smṛtāḥ
Putra hendaknya mempersembahkan udaka dengan mantra “apo naḥ śośucidayam” serta menunaikan rangkaian upacara sepuluh hari. Bagi Brāhmaṇa ditetapkan sepuluh piṇḍa; bagi Kṣatriya diingat dua belas.
Lord Agni (instructional narration within the Agni Purana’s ritual sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Mantra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Provides the specific mantra for udaka offering and prescribes the ten-day sequence and piṇḍa counts by varṇa for śrāddha/preta rites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Mantra","entry_title":"Udaka-mantra ‘apo naḥ śośucidayam’ and piṇḍa-saṅkhyā rules","lookup_keywords":["apo naḥ śośucidayam","udaka-mantra","daśāha","piṇḍa-saṅkhyā","brāhmaṇa-kṣatriya"],"quick_summary":"Use the mantra ‘apo naḥ śośucidayam’ while offering water during the ten-day rites; piṇḍa offerings are counted by rule—ten for a Brāhmaṇa and twelve for a Kṣatriya."}
Concept: Mantra + kriyā integration: correct utterance and correct count/sequence are both essential for saṃskāra efficacy.
Application: During daśāha, maintain consistent daily performance; keep piṇḍa counts aligned with the stated rule/tradition followed in the family.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha-vidhi (Funerary rites and ancestral offerings)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A son seated near a śrāddha platform recites ‘apo naḥ śośucidayam’ while pouring water; nearby are arranged piṇḍas counted carefully (10 for brāhmaṇa, 12 for kṣatriya) and a calendar-like ten-day sequence implied.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priestly son with palm-leaf manuscript, water pouring over darbha, neat row of rice piṇḍas, subtle numeric grouping (ten and twelve) shown as two panels, subdued sacred palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold accents on water pot and offering tray, central figure chanting with raised hand, piṇḍas arranged in precise count, decorative arch framing the ritual platform.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, diagrammatic clarity: mantra text band at top, below a stepwise ten-day grid, and two counted piṇḍa arrays labeled brāhmaṇa (10) and kṣatriya (12), clean lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor ritual with fine details of rice balls and copper lotā, scribe-like depiction of mantra on a scroll, attendants marking counts with beads, restrained solemn tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशाहञ्च = दशाहम् + च; सुतो ऽर्पयेत् = सुतः + अर्पयेत्; दशपिण्डाः = दश + पिण्डाः (द्विगु).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (daśāha and piṇḍa/udaka rules)
FAQs
It specifies śrāddha procedure: the son’s water-oblation with a purificatory mantra and the rule for the number of piṇḍas to be offered, differing by varṇa (10 for Brāhmaṇa, 12 for Kṣatriya).
It preserves precise dharma-ritual codification—mantra-usage, timing (daśāha), and quantitative rules (piṇḍa counts)—showing the text’s coverage of practical ritual law alongside its many other disciplines.
Correctly performed water and piṇḍa offerings during the ten-day period are presented as purificatory acts that support the departed’s onward journey and accrue merit (puṇya) for the performer through faithful adherence to śrāddha-dharma.