Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 19
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
पूर्वं स्त्रियः सुरैर् भुक्ताः सोमगन्धर्ववह्निभिः भुञ्जते मानुषाः पश्चान्नैता दुष्यन्ति केनचित्
pūrvaṃ striyaḥ surair bhuktāḥ somagandharvavahnibhiḥ bhuñjate mānuṣāḥ paścānnaitā duṣyanti kenacit
កាលពីមុន ស្ត្រីត្រូវបានទេវតាអាស្រ័យរីករាយ—ដោយសោមៈ គន្ធರ್ವៈ និងអគ្និ; បន្ទាប់មក មនុស្សប្រុសបានរីករាយជាមួយពួកនាង។ ដោយហេតុនេះ ពួកនាងមិនត្រូវបានបំពុលដោយនរណាម្នាក់ឡើយ។
Lord Agni (Agni Purāṇa’s primary narrator) speaking to sage Vasiṣṭha
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Norm-setting discourse about sexual conduct and perceived purity/impurity; used historically to justify social attitudes—requires careful ethical contextualization and rejection of harm.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Mythic Justification of Strī-śuddhi in Loka-vyavahāra","lookup_keywords":["stri-dharma","shuddhi","Soma","Gandharva","Agni"],"quick_summary":"Presents a mythic claim that prior divine ‘enjoyment’ renders women not defiled by later human relations; a normative-social assertion rather than a medical or yogic teaching."}
Concept: Appeal to mythic precedent to define social purity norms; illustrates how loka-vyavahāra arguments are constructed via divine exemplars.
Application: As a study-layer: distinguish descriptive myth from prescriptive ethics; in practice, prioritize ahiṃsā, consent, and non-discrimination when interpreting dharma passages.
Khanda Section: Nīti-Śāstra / Strī-dharma & Loka-vyavahāra (Social conduct and normative discourse)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A symbolic tableau: Soma, a Gandharva, and Agni represented as divine figures in the background, with a human social scene in the foreground—illustrating a contested normative claim about purity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: three deities—Soma with moon emblem, Gandharva as celestial musician, Agni with flames—painted in traditional icon colors; foreground shows a human couple in restrained, non-explicit depiction; emphasis on allegory and text-banner style.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: divine triad icons (Soma, Gandharva, Agni) with gold halos; foreground a modest household scene; ornate framing, but keep the narrative symbolic and decorous.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic panel with labeled figures (Soma, Gandharva, Agni) and a separate human vignette; soft colors, clarity over drama, non-explicit representation.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly allegory with celestial musicians (Gandharvas), a moon-faced Soma figure, and a flame motif for Agni; foreground social interaction rendered discreetly; fine detailing and marginal calligraphy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: surair = suraiḥ (visarga sandhi); paścānnaitā = paścāt + na + etāḥ; kenacit = kena + cit.
Related Themes: Agni Purana nīti-śāstra and ācāra sections; Agni Purana prāyaścitta discussions that treat śuddhi/āśuddhi
FAQs
It conveys a nīti/dharma claim about ritual-social purity: that a woman is not considered inherently “defiled” (duṣyati) merely due to prior contact, grounding the assertion in mythic precedent (Devas/Soma/Gandharvas/Agni).
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purāṇa also compiles loka-vyavahāra and normative ethics (nīti)—including contested social doctrines on purity, sexuality, and blame—showing its wide scope as a compendium of practical and ideological guidance.
The verse attempts to remove (or limit) the attribution of “taint” to women in social-ritual judgment, implying that purity/impurity is not automatically produced by mere association, and that moral evaluation should not be based on blanket stigma.