Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 21
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
भक्ष्याः पञ्चनखाः प्रोक्ताः परिशेषाश् च वर्जिताः पाठीनरोहितान्मत्स्यान् सिंहतुण्डांश् च भक्षयेत्
bhakṣyāḥ pañcanakhāḥ proktāḥ pariśeṣāś ca varjitāḥ pāṭhīnarohitānmatsyān siṃhatuṇḍāṃś ca bhakṣayet
ಪಂಚನಖ (ಐದು ನಖಗಳಿರುವ) ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವು ಭಕ್ಷ್ಯವೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದವುಗಳೇ ಭಕ್ಷ್ಯ; ಉಳಿದವು ವರ್ಜ್ಯ. ಪಾಠೀನ ಮತ್ತು ರೋಹಿತ ಮೀನುಗಳು, ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ‘ಸಿಂಹತುಂಡ’ ಎಂಬ ಮೀನು ಕೂಡ ಭಕ್ಷಿಸಬಹುದು.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s didactic discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Determines which five-clawed animals and which fish species are permissible to eat, supporting rule-based dietary compliance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Permitted pañcanakha and specific edible fish (pāṭhīna, rohita, siṃhatuṇḍa)","lookup_keywords":["pañcanakha","bhakṣya","pāṭhīna","rohita","siṃhatuṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"Only those five-clawed animals explicitly sanctioned are edible; others are forbidden. Certain fish—pāṭhīna, rohita, and siṃhatuṇḍa—are stated as allowable."}
Concept: Pramāṇa-based permissibility—edibility depends on explicit śāstric allowance, not mere availability.
Application: Helps householders and ritual practitioners decide permissible foods without ad-hoc reasoning.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ahara-niyama / dietary rules and permitted foods)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A riverbank market scene: fishermen present rohita and pāṭhīna; a scholar points to a manuscript listing permitted fish; in a side panel, five-clawed animals are shown with only a few highlighted as allowed and others shaded as forbidden.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized river with fish motifs, fishermen with nets, scholar-priest indicating permitted species, decorative borders with animal silhouettes, clear didactic contrasts.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central platter with rohita and pāṭhīna rendered ornamentally, gold leaf on vessels, manuscript in hand of a dharma-teacher, symmetrical icon-like layout.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional composition: labeled fish drawings and a rule statement about pañcanakha, soft colors, emphasis on clarity and taxonomy.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed river scene with anglers, naturalistic fish, scholar with calligraphy, marginal vignettes of animals with permitted/forbidden cues."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: परिशेषाश् च = परिशेषाः + च; पाठीनरोहितान्मत्स्यान् = पाठीनरोहितान् + मत्स्यान्; सिंहतुण्डांश् च = सिंहतुण्डान् + च
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (animal/fish edibility rules)
FAQs
It gives an ahāra-niyama (dietary rule): avoid most pañcanakha (five-clawed animals) unless explicitly permitted, and it names specific fish regarded as acceptable—pāṭhīna, rohita, and siṃhatuṇḍa.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical dharma guidance for daily living—classifying foods as edible or prohibited—showing its wide scope that includes social-religious law, purity norms, and household conduct.
Following permitted-food rules is presented as a discipline of purity and restraint: it supports sattvic conduct, reduces doṣa of forbidden consumption, and aligns one’s livelihood and diet with dharmic merit (puṇya) rather than demerit (pāpa).