Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 37
Śāva-āśauca and Sūtikā-śauca: Death/Childbirth Impurity, Preta-śuddhi, and Śrāddha Procedure
Chapter 157
परिक्रम्य ततः स्नानं कुर्युः सर्वे सवाससः प्रेताय च तथा दद्युस्त्रींस्त्रींश् चैवोदकाञ्जलीन्
parikramya tataḥ snānaṃ kuryuḥ sarve savāsasaḥ pretāya ca tathā dadyustrīṃstrīṃś caivodakāñjalīn
ಪರಿಕ್ರಮಿಸಿ ನಂತರ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ವಸ್ತ್ರಗಳೊಡನೆ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಪ್ರೇತಕ್ಕೆ ಮೂರು ಮೂರು ಅಂಜಲಿ ನೀರನ್ನು ಅರ್ಪಿಸಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Post-cremation purification sequence: circumambulation, bathing with clothes on, and water-offerings to the preta in prescribed counts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Parikrama–snāna and tri-tri udakāñjali for the preta","lookup_keywords":["parikrama","snana-savasasah","udaka-anjali","preta-tarpana","antyeshti"],"quick_summary":"After circumambulating the rite-site, participants bathe without removing garments and offer the departed repeated handfuls of water (three and three) as a standardized preta-oblation."}
Concept: Ritual purification and continued care for the departed through regulated acts (parikrama, snāna, tarpana-like udaka).
Application: Follow the sequence and counts precisely to complete post-cremation obligations and restore communal/individual śauca.
Khanda Section: Antyeshti & Shraddha-Vidhi (Funeral Rites and Post-cremation Observances)
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mourners circumambulate the cremation spot, then proceed to a riverbank to bathe still clothed, and offer paired sets of three water-handfuls toward the departed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular movement around a ritual spot, then riverbank bathing with garments, hands cupped offering water, stylized ripples and trees, subdued tones, devotional solemnity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, riverbank scene with gold-highlighted water arcs from cupped hands, figures in simple white cloth, minimal background, emphasis on repeated triads of offerings","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction: arrows showing circumambulation direction, then bathing ‘savasasaḥ’, then six total añjalis grouped as 3+3, fine lines and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed river landscape, multiple figures in sequence, delicate depiction of water in hands, quiet grief on faces, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: savāsasaḥ = sa-vāsasaḥ; dadyustrīṃstrīṃś = dadyuḥ trīn trīn; caivodakāñjalīn = ca eva udaka-añjalīn.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 157 (post-cremation śauca and offerings)
FAQs
It prescribes the sequence of post-rite actions: circumambulation, a ritual bath performed without removing one’s clothes (savāsasaḥ snāna), and the offering of water-libations (udakāñjali) to the preta in sets of three.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana details practical dharma procedures—here, the precise funeral/post-funeral protocol (snāna and water offerings), showing it functions as a manual for rites alongside its many other disciplines.
The bath signifies purification after contact with death-rites, while the water offerings support and pacify the departed’s transitional state (preta), fulfilling familial duty (pitṛ/pretṛ-ṛṇa) and promoting auspiciousness for both the dead and the living.