Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 43
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
पितृमात्रादिपाते तु आर्द्रवासा ह्य् उपोषितः प्रेते, भगिनीसुत इत्य् अपि इति ट यतिव्रतीति ज अपमानादथेति ख , ग , घ , ङ , छ , ज च विद्युदादिहतानाञ्च त्र्यहाच्छुद्धिर्विधीयते इति ट अतीतेब्दे प्रकुर्वीत प्रेतकार्यं यथाविधि
pitṛmātrādipāte tu ārdravāsā hy upoṣitaḥ prete, bhaginīsuta ity api iti ṭa yativratīti ja apamānādatheti kha , ga , gha , ṅa , cha , ja ca vidyudādihatānāñca tryahācchuddhirvidhīyate iti ṭa atītebde prakurvīta pretakāryaṃ yathāvidhi
ເມື່ອບິດາ ມານດາ ແລະຜູ້ອື່ນໆທຳນອງນັ້ນເສຍຊີວິດ ຄວນຖືອຸໂປສະຖະ (ອົດອາຫານ) ແລະນຸ່ງຜ້າຊຸ່ມທີ່ສະອາດ; ກົດນີ້ໃຊ້ກັບການເສຍຊີວິດຂອງລູກຊາຍຂອງເອື້ອຍ/ນ້ອງສາວດ້ວຍ. ຜູ້ທີ່ຖືກຟ້າຜ່າ ຫຼືເຫດຄ້າຍກັນ ກຳນົດໃຫ້ບໍລິສຸດຫຼັງສາມມື້. ຖ້າຜ່ານໄປໜຶ່ງປີ ຈຶ່ງຄວນປະກອບພິທີກຳຂອງຜູ້ຕາຍ (pretakārya) ຕາມວິທີທີ່ຖືກຕ້ອງ.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s instructional narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determines mourning observances (fasting, clothing), impurity duration, and when delayed funerary rites must be completed.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āśauca for parents etc.; three-day purification for lightning-death; delayed pretakārya after one year","lookup_keywords":["āśauca","antyeṣṭi","vidyut-hata","trirātra-śuddhi","pretakārya"],"quick_summary":"On death of close elders (father, mother, etc.) one observes fasting and prescribed mourning dress; those killed by lightning-like causes have three-day impurity. If rites were missed and a year has passed, perform pretakārya properly then."}
Concept: Ritual purity and timely discharge of obligations to the dead (ṛṇa to pitṛs) even when delayed.
Application: Follow prescribed impurity periods; complete missed funerary duties at the earliest proper occasion (even after a year).
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Antyeṣṭi-vidhi (Funeral rites and impurity–purification rules)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A mourner in damp/simple garment observing fast after a parent’s death; a lightning-struck death scene indicated; later, a delayed pretakārya performed with proper rites.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, muted earth pigments, a grieving family with a fasting mourner in simple damp cloth, ritual attendants preparing pretakārya items, symbolic lightning motif in the sky, temple-like cremation ground setting, traditional ornamented borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf highlights on ritual vessels and fire altar, central figure in austere mourning dress, attendants holding śrāddha implements, stylized lightning in background, rich red and green palette, devotional-dharma emphasis","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework showing step-by-step pretakārya arrangement (pinda, water pot, fire), mourner in plain cloth, annotation-like composition, soft pastel background, instructional clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed cremation-ground procession and later ritual scene, fine textiles contrasted with mourner’s austerity, naturalistic sky with lightning, delicate architectural and landscape detailing"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pitṛmātrādipāte = pitṛ-mātṛ-ādi-pāte; hy upoṣitaḥ = hi upoṣitaḥ; bhaginīsuta = bhaginī-suta; vidyudādihatānāñca = vidyut-ādi-hatānām ca; tryahācchuddhiḥ = tryahāt śuddhiḥ; śuddhirvidhīyate = śuddhiḥ vidhīyate; atītebde = atīte abde; pretakāryaṃ = preta-kāryam; yathāvidhi = yathā-vidhi (avyayībhāva). Note: several trailing markers (ṭa/ja/kha/ga/gha/ṅa/cha) appear to be manuscript/edition sigla and are not analyzed as Sanskrit padas.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 157 (Śrāddha/antyeṣṭi context); Agni Purana 158 (Śauca-prāyaścitta sequence)
FAQs
It gives aśauca-śuddhi guidance: fasting and specific conduct/clothing after the death of close relatives, a three-day purification rule for deaths by lightning-like calamities, and the instruction to perform pretakārya properly even if a year has passed.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical dharma-śāstra style regulations—time-bound purification periods, categories of death (including accidental), and procedural continuity of śrāddha/pretakārya—showing the text’s coverage of social-religious law and ritual administration.
By observing prescribed purification and completing pretakārya, the living uphold dharma toward the departed, remove ritual impurity (aśauca), and support the deceased’s onward transition through correctly timed and correctly performed rites.