Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 19
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
अनुपाकृटमांसानि देवान्नानि हवींषि च गवाञ्च महिषीणां च वर्जयित्वा तथाप्यजां
anupākṛṭamāṃsāni devānnāni havīṃṣi ca gavāñca mahiṣīṇāṃ ca varjayitvā tathāpyajāṃ
Hendaknya dihindari daging yang tidak dimasak dengan semestinya, makanan yang diperuntukkan bagi para dewa, serta havis (persembahan yajña); juga menjauhi daging sapi dan kerbau—namun dalam konteks tertentu kambing (ajā) diperbolehkan.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Guides dietary restraint: avoiding improper meat and sacred/ritual foods; specifies animal-flesh prohibitions with a conditional allowance for goat depending on context.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ahara-niyama: prohibited meats and sacred foods; conditional goat allowance","lookup_keywords":["anupākṛta-māṃsa","devānna","havis","go-mahiṣa-māṃsa","ajā"],"quick_summary":"Avoid improperly prepared meat and foods reserved for deities/sacrifice; abstain from cow and buffalo flesh. Goat meat may be permitted in specified traditional contexts."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Śauca and maryādā in eating—distinguishing ordinary food from devānna/havis; ahiṃsā-related hierarchy of meats.
Application: Maintains ritual integrity (not consuming offerings/oblations) and social-ethical norms regarding protected animals.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Ahara-niyama (Dietary and ritual food restrictions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household scene: a ritual altar with havis and devānna set aside, while a cook rejects improperly prepared meat; a separate depiction shows cow and buffalo protected, with a goat indicated as conditionally permissible.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized yajña-vedi with offerings, priest gesturing prohibition, cook turning away a meat tray, cow and buffalo shown respectfully, muted didactic palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted altar vessels and offering plates, priestly figure indicating 'do not consume', protective aura around cow and buffalo, goat shown at margin as conditional allowance.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional tableau: labeled sections 'devānna/havis' vs 'ordinary food', cook demonstrating proper preparation, emphasis on rule-based separation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic-ritual interior, fine rendering of sacrificial implements and food trays, gestures of refusal, animals depicted with naturalism, marginal notes in calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gavāñca = गवाम् + च; tathāpyajāṃ = तथा + अपि + अजाम्; anupākṛṭamāṃsāni = अनु + पाकृत + मांसानि (समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (dietary prohibitions and permissions sequence)
FAQs
It lays down a practical rule of ritual purity: avoid consuming offerings meant for the gods (naivedya), sacrificial oblations (havis), and prohibited meats (cow and buffalo), while indicating a conditional allowance of goat in certain sanctioned contexts.
Alongside theology and myth, the Agni Purana also codifies conduct—here, concrete dietary and offering-related regulations—showing its coverage of dharma, ritual procedure, and purity norms as a compendium of applied religious life.
By avoiding what is reserved for divine worship and what is ritually/proscriptively impure, one preserves śauca (purity) and avoids pratyavāya (ritual fault), thereby protecting merit (puṇya) and the efficacy of religious observance.