Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
तांश्चारयित्वा त्रीन् कृछ्रान् यथाविध्युपनाययेत् विकर्मस्थाः परित्यक्तास्तेषां मप्येतदादिशेत्
tāṃścārayitvā trīn kṛchrān yathāvidhyupanāyayet vikarmasthāḥ parityaktāsteṣāṃ mapyetadādiśet
彼らに規定どおり三度のクリッチラ（Kṛcchra）苦行を行わせたのち、法に従ってウパナヤナ（upanayana）を再び授け、復帰させるべきである。禁じられた行為（vikarma）に堕して棄却された者にも、同じ教令をまた命ずべきである。
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Specifies a rehabilitation pathway: three Kṛcchra penances followed by re-initiation (upanayana) for those fallen into prohibited acts or excluded—used for restoring ritual eligibility.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Reinstatement of vikarma-stha/patita: three Kṛcchras and upanayana","lookup_keywords":["kṛcchra","upanayana","vikarma","parityakta","punar-dīkṣā"],"quick_summary":"After completing three Kṛcchra penances, the person is to be brought again to upanayana per rule; the same applies to those excluded for prohibited conduct."}
Concept: Ritual status can be restored through structured penance and re-sacramentalization (upanayana), emphasizing reform over permanent exclusion.
Application: For community adjudication, apply graded penance (three Kṛcchras) and then perform upanayana to reinstate eligibility for Vedic duties.
Khanda Section: Dharma-prāyaścitta (Expiations and rites of purification)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent completes austerities symbolizing three Kṛcchras, then undergoes a renewed upanayana ceremony with sacred thread and teacher guidance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: sequential narrative—penitent in austere posture, then upanayana with ācārya placing yajñopavīta, sacred fire and water vessels, stylized faces and flat composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: upanayana centerpiece with gold on yajñopavīta and ritual implements, penitent and ācārya seated by homa-kunda, ornate frame, emphasis on restoration.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional scene showing upanayana steps after penance—ācārya, student, mekhalā, daṇḍa, yajñopavīta; clean, diagram-like clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: intimate ritual interior, teacher tying sacred thread, attendants with offerings, detailed textiles, calm solemn mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तांश्चारयित्वा → तान् + च + चारयित्वा; यथाविध्युपनाययेत् → यथा-विधि + उपनाययेत्; परित्यक्तास्तेषाम् → परित्यक्ताः + तेषाम्; मप्येतदादिशेत् (पाठदोष/संक्षेप) → अपि + एतत् + आदिशेत् (अत्र ‘म’ इति संधि/लिप्यन्तर-च्युतिः सम्भाव्यते).
Related Themes: Agni Purana: prāyaścitta-khaṇḍa on Kṛcchra varieties; Agni Purana: saṃskāra sections on upanayana and dvija duties
FAQs
It prescribes a concrete expiation protocol: three Kṛcchra penances followed by rule-based upanayana (re-initiation) to restore ritual eligibility.
It functions like a dharma-manual entry—codifying community discipline, penance types (Kṛcchra), and reinstatement rites (upanayana), showing the Agni Purana’s coverage beyond mythology into applied religious law.
The verse frames wrongdoing (vikarma) as ritually and karmically polluting, and teaches that structured austerity plus re-initiation can purify the fault and reinstate one’s standing in Vedic practice.