Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 2
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
चातुर्मासिकपातान्ते दशाहं पञ्चमासतः राजन्ये च चतूरात्रं वैश्ये पञ्चाहमेव च
cāturmāsikapātānte daśāhaṃ pañcamāsataḥ rājanye ca catūrātraṃ vaiśye pañcāhameva ca
ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിന്റെ ‘പാത’ (അവസാനം/പതനം) അവസാനിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അഞ്ചാം മാസത്തിൽ നിന്ന് പത്ത് ദിവസത്തെ നിയമം; രാജന്യൻ (ക്ഷത്രിയൻ)ക്ക് നാല് രാത്രികൾ, വൈശ്യന് കൃത്യമായി അഞ്ച് ദിവസം।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Sets expiatory/observance durations (days/nights) tied to time-periods and varṇa distinctions for aśauca/vrata calculations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Kāla-nirṇaya: aśauca/vrata durations by period and varṇa","lookup_keywords":["cāturmāsya","pāta","daśāha","rātri","kṣatriya","vaiśya"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact schedule of observance lengths: ten days at a specified cāturmāsya termination count; for kṣatriya four nights; for vaiśya five days—used for ritual time reckoning."}
Concept: Kāla (time) as a regulator of ritual eligibility; differentiated duties/constraints by social category in Smṛti framework.
Application: Compute the correct duration of restraint/observance before resuming rites, meals, and social-religious acts, according to the stated schedule.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Vrata-kāla-nirṇaya (Ritual observances and expiatory time-counts)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calendrical/ledger-like depiction of observance durations: cāturmāsya termination leading to ten days; separate columns for kṣatriya (four nights) and vaiśya (five days), shown as an instructional chart with a teacher explaining.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, teacher pointing to a stylized palm-leaf calendar showing cāturmāsya and day/night counts, figures representing varṇas in simple iconographic attire, calm didactic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate calendar panel with gold highlights on numerals (10, 4 nights, 5 days), teacher-sage seated, symmetrical composition, devotional-legal aesthetic.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional chart aesthetic within traditional painting: columns labeled cāturmāsya/pāta, kṣatriya, vaiśya; teacher indicating counts with a stylus, fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scribe-like scene with a ledger of ritual days, teacher explaining to householders, precise depiction of night/day symbols (moons/suns), restrained palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"fast","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चातुर्मासिकपातान्ते = चातुर्मासिक + पात + अन्ते; पञ्चाहमेव → पञ्चाहम् + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158.1 (srāvādya-aśauca introduction)
FAQs
It specifies the exact time-units (days/nights) for a post-Cāturmāsya observance/expiatory period, distinguishing durations for Kṣatriya and Vaiśya practitioners.
By preserving precise calendrical and dharma-procedural details—how long rites are to be observed and how rules vary by social duty (varṇa)—it functions like a ritual handbook embedded within the Purāṇa.
Correctly observing the prescribed duration is treated as essential for the rite’s efficacy—supporting purification, restoration of ritual order, and accrual of dharmic merit through disciplined timing.