Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 7
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
दिवानुगच्छेद्गाश् चैव तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वं रजः पिवेत् वृषभैकादशा गास्तु दद्याद्विचारितव्रतः
divānugacchedgāś caiva tiṣṭhannūrdhvaṃ rajaḥ pivet vṛṣabhaikādaśā gāstu dadyādvicāritavrataḥ
ವಿಚಾರಪೂರ್ವಕ ವ್ರತಾಚರಣೆ ಮಾಡುವವನು ಹಗಲು ಗೋವುಗಳನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿ, ನಿಂತು ಮೇಲೇಳುವ ಧೂಳನ್ನು ಪಾನಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ನಂತರ ವೃಷಭಸಹಿತ ಹನ್ನೊಂದು ಗೋವುಗಳನ್ನು ದಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Prāyaścitta-vrata performance involving austerity (anugamana of cows, standing discipline) and prescribed dāna (eleven cows with a bull) as expiation/merit-making.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vṛṣabhaikādaśā-go-dāna prāyaścitta (cow-following vow and donation)","lookup_keywords":["vṛṣabhaikādaśā","go-dāna","prāyaścitta","anugamana","rajaḥ-pāna"],"quick_summary":"The verse outlines an expiatory vow: follow cows by day and maintain a standing austerity, then complete the rite by gifting eleven cows along with a bull."}
Concept: Prāyaścitta through tapas (niyama) and dāna as social-ritual restitution and self-purification.
Application: Use structured vows and charitable restitution to repair transgression and re-align conduct with dharma.
Khanda Section: Vrata-dana-vidhi (Expiatory vows and ritual charity)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shraddha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vow-observer follows a herd of cows in daylight, standing in austerity as dust rises, then ceremonially donates eleven cows and a bull to learned brāhmaṇas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and greens, a vrata-observer in simple white cloth following cows at dawn, dust swirling upward, later a formal go-dāna scene with brāhmaṇas receiving eleven cows and a bull, sacred calm, stylized flora","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights, central donor figure offering go-dāna, eleven cows arranged symmetrically with a bull, ornate halos on recipients, temple-like backdrop, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional composition: left panel shows anugamana of cows by day, right panel shows donation ritual with counted cows and bull, captions implied, soft pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pastoral landscape with detailed cattle, a standing ascetic figure amid rising dust, then a courtly donation scene with scholars, meticulous textiles and animal rendering"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दिवानुगच्छेत् = दिवा + अनुगच्छेत्; गाश् = गाः; तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वम् = तिष्ठन् + ऊर्ध्वम्; गास्तु = गाः + तु; दद्याद्विचारितव्रतः = दद्यात् + विचारितव्रतः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vrata-dāna-vidhi sections on go-dāna and prāyaścitta scales; Agni Purana dāna-prakaraṇa (gift-taxonomy)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific expiatory-vow procedure: daytime attendance upon the herd, a symbolic act of drinking the dust raised (as an austerity), and concluding the observance with gau-dāna—donating eleven cows along with a bull.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical dharma topics—vows, expiations, and charity protocols—offering concrete, count-specific donation rules (like “eleven cows with a bull”) typical of its ritual-law compendium style.
The austerity (vrata) coupled with substantial charity (gau-dāna) functions as purification and merit-making, aiming to reduce karmic burden through disciplined conduct and giving.