Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 35
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
मातामह्यां तथाचार्ये मृते मातामहे त्र्यहं दुर्भिक्षे राष्ट्रसम्पाते आगतायां तथापदि
mātāmahyāṃ tathācārye mṛte mātāmahe tryahaṃ durbhikṣe rāṣṭrasampāte āgatāyāṃ tathāpadi
മാതാമഹി മരിച്ചാൽ, അതുപോലെ ആചാര്യൻ മരിച്ചാൽ, കൂടാതെ മാതാമഹൻ മരിച്ചാൽ—മൂന്നു ദിവസത്തെ (അശൗച/ആചാരം) ഉണ്ട്. ദുര്ഭിക്ഷം, രാജ്യവിപത്ത്, അത്തരം അപത്ത് വന്നാൽ പോലും ഇതേ നിയമം.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s primary narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Knowing when a three-day observance applies not only for certain elders/teachers but also during public calamities (famine, state disaster), guiding communal ritual scheduling and governance-sensitive conduct.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Tryaha aśauca for maternal grandparents/ācārya; rule extended to calamities","lookup_keywords":["ācārya-maraṇa","mātāmahī","mātāmaha","tryaha","durbhikṣa"],"quick_summary":"A three-day observance is stated for the death of maternal grandmother, teacher, and maternal grandfather; the same measure is applied in famine, kingdom-wide catastrophe, and comparable misfortune."}
Concept: Private and public disruptions both require regulated restraint; dharma responds to social instability with standardized observance.
Application: During famine or state calamity, adopt the prescribed restraint period and adjust yajña/utsava scheduling and social interactions accordingly.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Ashaucha-vidhi (Rules of impurity and mourning observances)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher’s funeral context juxtaposed with a famine/calamity scene: people performing restrained rites for three days, with signs of scarcity and a royal proclamation of emergency observance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-register composition: upper register shows ācārya’s bier and students in mourning; lower register shows drought-stricken fields and a village observing restraint, earthy palette and solemn faces.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central vignette of ācārya honored with lamps and garlands (gold accents), side vignette of a kingdom in distress with a royal emblem, emphasizing dharma amid crisis.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional panel: 'tryaha' highlighted, icons for ācārya and maternal grandparents, plus symbols for famine and rāṣṭra-sampāta, clean explanatory layout.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scene of a herald announcing calamity, alongside a quiet cremation/obsequies scene for the teacher, detailed landscape with parched earth."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तथाचार्ये = तथा + आचार्ये; तथापदि = तथा + आपदि.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (aśauca gradations; calamity clauses)
FAQs
It specifies the aśauca/observance duration—three days (tryaha)—for the death of maternal grandparents and one’s ācārya, and indicates that similar restricted observance applies in emergencies like famine and public calamity.
It preserves dharma-technical details on ritual purity and social conduct, while also linking private rites (death observances) with public conditions (famine, state disaster), showing the text’s coverage of both household dharma and governance-related crises.
Observing the prescribed aśauca period is treated as maintaining dharmic order and ritual correctness; it supports purification, proper honoring of elders/teachers, and disciplined conduct even under collective distress.