Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 33
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
समानि ब्रह्महत्ययेति ख , ङ , ञ च गर्हितानामन्नजग्धिरिति ङ सख्युः सुतस्य चेति ङ सर्वाकारेष्वधीकारो महायन्त्रप्रवर्तनं हिंसौषधीनां स्त्र्याजीवः क्रियालङ्गनमेव च
samāni brahmahatyayeti kha , ṅa , ña ca garhitānāmannajagdhiriti ṅa sakhyuḥ sutasya ceti ṅa sarvākāreṣvadhīkāro mahāyantrapravartanaṃ hiṃsauṣadhīnāṃ stryājīvaḥ kriyālaṅganameva ca
“ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಹತ್ಯೆಗೆ ಸಮಾನ” ಕರ್ಮಗಳು—ಎಂದು ಖ-, ಙ-, ಞ-ಪಾಠಗಳು ಹೇಳುತ್ತವೆ. “ಗರ್ಹಿತರ ಉಳಿದ ಅನ್ನವನ್ನು ತಿನ್ನುವುದು”—ಇದು ಙ-ಪಾಠ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ “ಸ್ನೇಹಿತನ ಮಗನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಸಂಗ”—ಇದೂ ಙ-ಪಾಠ. ಇನ್ನೂ: ಅರ್ಹತೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಧಿಕಾರ ಹಿಡಿಯುವುದು, ಮಹಾಯಂತ್ರಗಳ ಪ್ರವರ್ತನೆ, ಹಿಂಸಕ/ವಿಷೌಷಧಿಗಳ ಪ್ರಯೋಗ, ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರ ಆದಾಯದಿಂದ ಜೀವನ, ಮತ್ತು ವಿಧಿನಿಯತ ಕ್ರಿಯೆಗಳ ಲಂಘನ—ಇವು ನಿಂದ್ಯ।
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dharma/prāyaścitta material)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Ethical screening of occupations and actions (especially power, technology, medicine, and livelihood) to avoid mahāpātaka-equivalent blame and to guide prāyaścitta decisions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Brahmahatyā-samāna and other garhita karmas (censured acts)","lookup_keywords":["brahmahatyā-samāna","garhita karma","mahāyantra","hiṃsauṣadhi","strī-ājīva"],"quick_summary":"The verse catalogs acts treated as gravely blameworthy—some equated with brahma-slaughter—covering polluted food, illicit sexual conduct, overreach of authority, dangerous technologies, violent/poison medicines, exploitative livelihood, and ritual transgression."}
Concept: Adharma arises from pollution (anna-doṣa), sexual transgression, illegitimate power, harmful technology, and ritual breach; gravity can reach mahāpātaka-equivalence.
Application: Use as a conduct checklist for rulers/householders: qualify authority, regulate machines/enterprises, ensure medical non-maleficence, and keep livelihood non-exploitative and rites rule-compliant.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Prayashchitta (Dharma-shastra: sins, prohibitions, and expiations)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic courtly scene: a dharma-ācārya enumerates censured acts to a ruler; in vignettes appear polluted food offerings, illicit liaison, a large mechanical engine being set in motion, a physician holding a vial marked as poison, and an exploitative household economy.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a seated rishi-teacher instructing a king on dharma; surrounding narrative panels: forbidden food, illicit union, a large yantra with wheels, a vaidya with a dark poison flask; flat iconic faces, ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central gold-embossed guru and king in a sabhā, with small gold-highlighted inset scenes of mahāyantra, poison-medicine, and ritual transgression; rich reds and greens, heavy jewelry detailing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework instructional tableau: labeled vignettes of each garhita act (anna-doṣa, illicit sex, overreach of authority, machine operation, violent medicine, strī-ājīva, kriyā-laṅghana); muted pastels, precise detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, court scholar reading a list to nobles; marginal mini-scenes: a mechanical contraption, a physician mixing a harsh drug, a ritual altar neglected; fine architectural interior, delicate brushwork, naturalistic figures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: ब्रह्महत्ययेति→ब्रह्महत्यया+इति; गर्हितानामन्नजग्धिरिति→गर्हितानाम्+अन्नजग्धिः+इति; सर्वाकारेष्वधीकारो→सर्वाकारेṣu+अधिकारः; क्रियालङ्गनमेव→क्रियालङ्घनम्+एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rājadharma/Nīti sections on daṇḍa and conduct; Agni Purana: Prāyaścitta listings of mahāpātaka/upapātaka
FAQs
It enumerates actions treated as gravely censurable—some even classed as equivalent to brahmahatyā—and flags ritual/ethical disqualifications such as violating prescribed kriyā and engaging in harmful drug-use practices.
Beyond mythic narration, it preserves dharma-shastra style catalogues of prohibited conduct, social-legal disqualifications (adhikāra), and even notes on dangerous medicinal substances and technology (yantra), showing the text’s wide-ranging, compendious scope.
By classifying certain behaviors as highly sinful (up to brahmahatyā-equivalence), the verse warns that such acts generate heavy karmic demerit and require strict avoidance (and, elsewhere in the chapter, expiation) to protect purity and spiritual progress.