Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 21
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
दशाहोपरि पित्रोश् च दुहितुर्मरणे त्र्यहं सद्यः शौचं सपिण्डानां पूर्वं चूडाकृतेर्द्विज
daśāhopari pitroś ca duhiturmaraṇe tryahaṃ sadyaḥ śaucaṃ sapiṇḍānāṃ pūrvaṃ cūḍākṛterdvija
ഹേ ദ്വിജാ! മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ കാര്യത്തിൽ ശൗചം പത്ത് ദിവസത്തേക്കാൾ അധികം നീളുന്നു; എന്നാൽ പുത്രിയുടെ മരണത്തിൽ മൂന്ന് ദിവസം. സപിണ്ഡ ബന്ധുക്കൾക്ക് ശൗചം ഉടൻതന്നെ (സദ്യഃ) ലഭിക്കുന്നു—ചൂഡാകൃതി (മുണ്ഡന-സംസ്കാരം) നടത്തുന്നതിന് മുമ്പും ഈ നിയമം ബാധകം.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Computing āśauca duration by relationship (parents vs daughter) and applying immediate śuddhi for sapinda in specified contexts; ensuring eligibility for rites like cūḍākaraṇa (tonsure) is not obstructed incorrectly.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Āśauca durations by kinship; immediate śuddhi for sapinda before cūḍākṛti","lookup_keywords":["āśauca","daśāha","triyaha","sapinda","cūḍākṛti"],"quick_summary":"For parents, impurity extends beyond ten days; for a daughter’s death it is three days. Sapinda relatives may attain immediate purification in the specified pre-tonsure context."}
Concept: Grief is ritually structured: degrees of kinship determine the length of withdrawal and purification, balancing social function and sacred duty.
Application: When a death occurs near scheduled saṃskāras (e.g., cūḍākaraṇa), apply the correct āśauca rule to avoid both ritual negligence and unnecessary postponement.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ashauca & Samskara-niyama)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household in mourning with a priest explaining a chart of impurity days: extended for parents, three days for daughter; nearby, a child’s cūḍākaraṇa preparations paused/adjusted with immediate purification indicated for sapinda.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: somber family scene, priest pointing to day-count symbols (10+, 3), child with partially prepared tonsure items (razor, water pot) set aside; muted palette, dignified grief.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: framed composition with gold borders; priest holding a manuscript, family seated in mourning; symbolic day-count motifs; cūḍā items rendered with ornate detail but subdued mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic painting with a clear ‘āśauca table’ visual, kinship icons (parents/daughter/sapinda), and a small vignette of cūḍākaraṇa readiness; precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: interior mourning scene with careful facial expressions; scholar-priest annotating day counts; a corner vignette shows tonsure tools and a water vessel, indicating timing constraints."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दशाहोपरि = दशाह + उपरि; पित्रोश् = पित्रोः (visarga before c); दुहितुर्मरणे = दुहितुः + मरणे; चूडाकृतेर्द्विज = चूडाकृतेः + द्विज.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (āśauca-śuddhi determinations)
FAQs
It specifies ashauca durations for different deaths (parents vs. daughter) and clarifies when sapinda-related purification is considered immediate, especially in relation to performing the cūḍākṛti (tonsure) samskāra.
Alongside theology and worship, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical Dharma-shāstra guidance—codifying mourning impurity periods, kinship-based ritual rules (sapinda), and samskāra timing—showing its coverage of lived religious law.
Observing the correct ashauca and śauca is treated as necessary for ritual eligibility and purity, ensuring rites are performed in a dharmically valid state and maintaining orderly ancestral and household religious obligations.