Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 11
Purification Concerning the Unsanctified
Asaṃskṛta) and Related Cases (असंस्कृतादिशौचम्
आयुष्ये कर्मणि क्षीणे प्रसह्य हरिते जनं नाप्राप्तकालो म्रियते बिद्धः शरशतैर् अपि
āyuṣye karmaṇi kṣīṇe prasahya harite janaṃ nāprāptakālo mriyate biddhaḥ śaraśatair api
ເມື່ອກຳທີ່ຄ້ຳຈຸນອາຍຸຂອງຄົນໝົດສິ້ນ ກາລະຈະພາຄົນນັ້ນໄປດ້ວຍກຳລັງ; ແຕ່ຜູ້ທີ່ເວລາກຳນົດຍັງບໍ່ມາ ບໍ່ຕາຍ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຖືກທະລຸດໂດຍລູກທະນູນັບຮ້ອຍ.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Interpret life events through the lens of prārabdha/āyus-karma: avoid fatalism but accept limits; in leadership and personal conduct, act diligently while recognizing outcomes mature by karma and time.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Āyus-karma-kṣaya and Akāla-mṛtyu (death occurs when lifespan-karma is exhausted)","lookup_keywords":["āyuḥ","karma-kṣaya","prārabdha","akāla-mṛtyu","śara-śata"],"quick_summary":"Death comes when the sustaining karma of lifespan is spent; before that destined time, even severe injury may not kill. The teaching frames mortality as governed by kāla and karma rather than mere external causes."}
Alamkara Type: Atiśayokti (hyperbole: ‘hundreds of arrows’)
Weapon Type: Arrow (śara)
Concept: Prārabdha/āyus-karma governs the timing of death; external instruments are secondary to the maturation of karma under kāla.
Application: Maintain courage and composure in crisis; do one’s duty (svadharma) without obsession over outcomes; avoid arrogance in survival or despair in loss.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Karma–Mrityu (Fate, lifespan, and the fruition of actions)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Vīra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A warrior pierced by many arrows still stands alive, while another person is carried away by Time when lifespan-karma is exhausted; Kāla appears as an unseen force pulling the departing soul.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: battlefield with a hero riddled with arrows yet upright; beside him, Kāla as a dark, impersonal force drawing a faint soul-form from another body; bold lines, dramatic but restrained palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heroic figure with arrows, richly ornamented; gold-highlighted Kāla wheel motif above; contrasting vignette of a departing soul; devotional-symbolic composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic split-scene—left: ‘śara-śata’ warrior surviving; right: person being led by Kāla; fine linework, calm explanatory mood.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: detailed war camp; an archer’s volley shown; central figure survives improbably; in the margin, allegorical Kāla as a shadowy attendant leading another away; intricate textiles and armor."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāprāptakālo → na + aprāpta-kālaḥ. śaraśatair → śara-śataiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 159.12 (limits of medicine/mantra against destined death); Agni Purana nīti passages on kāla and karma in the same adhyāya
FAQs
It teaches the doctrinal principle that lifespan is governed by the exhaustion of āyuṣ-karman (life-sustaining karma) and that death occurs only when one’s kāla (appointed time) arrives—using archery as a concrete illustration.
It integrates metaphysics (karma and kāla) with practical-world imagery (battle/archery), showing how the Purana links ethical governance and human action with cosmic law—typical of its wide-ranging, encyclopedic instruction.
It underscores that death is not merely accidental but the fruition of karmic timing; this supports a dharmic worldview encouraging disciplined conduct, courage in adversity, and acceptance of outcomes as governed by kāla and karma.