Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 6
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
वर्णाश्रमाणां सामान्यं धर्माधर्मं समीरितं यजनं याजनं दानं वेदाद्यध्यापनक्रिया
varṇāśramāṇāṃ sāmānyaṃ dharmādharmaṃ samīritaṃ yajanaṃ yājanaṃ dānaṃ vedādyadhyāpanakriyā
ವರ್ಣಾಶ್ರಮಗಳ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಧರ್ಮಾಧರ್ಮಗಳನ್ನು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ—ಯಜ್ಞ ಮಾಡುವುದು, ಇತರರಿಗಾಗಿ ಯಜ್ಞ ನೆರವೇರಿಸುವುದು, ದಾನ ನೀಡುವುದು ಮತ್ತು ವೇದಾದಿ ವಿದ್ಯೆಗಳ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ‑ಅಧ್ಯಾಪನ ಕ್ರಮ।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, traditionally narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Codifies shared varṇāśrama duties used to guide personal conduct, priestly roles, and education policy in a community (who may study/teach, who may officiate, norms of dāna and yajña).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāmānya-varṇāśrama-dharma: yajña, yājana, dāna, vedādhyayana-adhyāpana","lookup_keywords":["varnashrama","yajna","yajana","dana","vedadhyayana"],"quick_summary":"States the common dharma-framework across varṇas/āśramas: sacrificial performance and officiation, charity, and disciplined Vedic study/teaching. Useful as a checklist for orthodox social-religious duties."}
Concept: Dharma is sustained through yajña (ritual reciprocity), dāna (redistribution), and vidyā (Vedic transmission) as shared social pillars.
Application: Use as a community dharma charter: maintain ritual institutions, ensure qualified teaching lineages, and normalize charity as social support.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Varṇāśrama-dharma and Vedic duties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-assembly scene: a learned brāhmaṇa teacher recites Veda to students; nearby a yajña-śālā with fire altar; householders offer dāna to a recipient; an officiating priest guides the rite.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, flat iconic figures: guru-brāhmaṇa teaching Veda to śiṣyas with palm-leaf manuscripts, yajña-kuṇḍa with agni, dāna scene with respectful gestures, ornamental borders, serene didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf: central yajña scene with agni and priests, flanking panels of Vedic teaching and charity-giving, rich textiles, stylized faces, embossed gold ornaments, temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate lines and soft colors: instructional tableau showing steps—study/teaching, sacrifice, officiation, charity—each vignette labeled, calm scholarly ambience.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly dharma-sabha with a pandit explaining duties, detailed architecture, small yajña pavilion in background, donors and recipients in fine garments, meticulous detailing and perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्माधर्मम् → धर्म-अधर्मम् (द्वन्द्व); वेदाद्यध्यापनक्रिया → वेद-आदि-अध्यापन-क्रिया; समीरितम् is kta-kridanta used predicatively with implied ‘(एतत्) … समीरितम्’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana varṇāśrama-dharma sections in the same adhyāya/khanda; Agni Purana rājadharma/nīti passages that depend on varṇa duties
FAQs
It enumerates core dharma-practices tied to Vedic ritual and social duty: conducting yajña, serving as officiating priest for others (yājana), practicing dāna (charitable giving), and maintaining Vedic learning through teaching/study.
By codifying a compact list of normative obligations—ritual performance, priestly function, charity, and Vedic education—it shows the text’s dharma-śāstra dimension alongside its many other disciplines, mapping how society sustains religion and knowledge transmission.
These acts are presented as foundational purifying duties: yajña aligns one with sacred order, yājana supports communal worship, dāna reduces possessiveness and accrues merit, and Vedic teaching/study preserves śruti-based dharma—collectively shaping karma toward religious merit and social harmony.