Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 8
Chapter 364 — ब्रह्मवर्गः
Brahmavarga: Lexical Classification of Brahminical/Ritual Terms
मुख्यः स्यात् प्रथमः कल्पो ऽनुकल्पस्तु ततो ऽधमः कल्पे विधिक्रमौ ज्ञेयौ विवेकः पृथगात्मता
mukhyaḥ syāt prathamaḥ kalpo 'nukalpastu tato 'dhamaḥ kalpe vidhikramau jñeyau vivekaḥ pṛthagātmatā
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಕಲ್ಪವನ್ನು ಮೊದಲನೆಯದಾಗಿ ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕು; ಅದರ ನಂತರ ಅನುಕಲ್ಪವು ಅದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕೀಳಾಗಿದೆ. ಕಲ್ಪದಲ್ಲಿ ಎರಡು ವಿಧಿಕ್ರಮಗಳು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕಾದವು—ವಿವೇಕ ಮತ್ತು ಆತ್ಮದ ವಿಭಿನ್ನತೆ (ಪೃಥಗಾತ್ಮತಾ).
Lord Agni (narrating the procedural taxonomy of kalpa/vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कल्पो ऽनुकल्पः = कल्पः + अनुकल्पः; ततो ऽधमः = ततः + अधमः
FAQs
It classifies ritual manuals into a primary kalpa and a subsidiary anukalpa, and instructs that correct ritual performance depends on knowing the proper procedural order (vidhi-krama) through discerning applicability (viveka) and maintaining distinctness of the performer/self (pṛthag-ātmatā) as a guiding principle.
Beyond stories and theology, it preserves a technical taxonomy used in dharma- and ritual-literature—how to rank procedures (primary vs subsidiary) and how to apply rules via interpretive principles (viveka), showing the Purana’s compendious, manual-like character.
By prioritizing the principal rite and applying procedures with discernment, one avoids ritual error (doṣa) and gains the intended merit (puṇya); the emphasis on pṛthag-ātmatā supports disciplined, self-aware practice rather than mechanical performance.