Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 21
Chapter 166: वर्णधर्मादिकथनं
Exposition of Varṇa-Dharma and Related Topics
उदकञ्च तृणं भस्म द्वारम्पन्थास्तथैव च अग्न्याधानमग्निहोत्रमिति ख , छ च अन्यगोत्रो ऽन्यसम्बन्ध इति ख , घ , ञ च एभिरन्तरितं कृत्वा पङ्क्तिदोषो न विद्यते
udakañca tṛṇaṃ bhasma dvārampanthāstathaiva ca agnyādhānamagnihotramiti kha , cha ca anyagotro 'nyasambandha iti kha , gha , ña ca ebhirantaritaṃ kṛtvā paṅktidoṣo na vidyate
ഭോജനപങ്ക്തിയിൽ ഇടയിൽ വെള്ളം, പുല്ല്, ഭസ്മം, വാതിൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പാത വെച്ച് വേർതിരിക്കുകയും, അഗ്ന്യാധാനം, അഗ്നിഹോത്രം മുതലായവകൊണ്ടും ഇടവേള സ്ഥാപിക്കുകയുമെങ്കിൽ ‘പങ്ക്തിദോഷം’ ഉണ്ടാകില്ല. അതുപോലെ വ്യത്യസ്ത ഗോത്രമോ വ്യത്യസ്ത ബന്ധമോ ഉള്ളവരെ ഇങ്ങനെ ഇടയിൽ വേർതിരിച്ചാൽ പോലും പങ്ക്തിദോഷം ഇല്ല.
Lord Agni (Agni Purāṇa’s primary narrator) instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha (traditional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Managing ritual dining purity: prevent paṅkti-doṣa by creating valid separations in a dining row using specified physical dividers or intervening rites/status distinctions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Paṅkti-doṣa avoidance through intervening separations","lookup_keywords":["paṅkti-doṣa","bhojana-vidhi","antarita","udaka-tṛṇa-bhasma","agnyādhāna-agnihotra"],"quick_summary":"A dining row is not ritually contaminated if separated by prescribed dividers (water, grass, ash, doorway, path) or by intervening sacred-fire rites (agnyādhāna, agnihotra), and by distinctions such as different gotra/relationship when properly interposed."}
Concept: Ritual purity is maintained through recognized boundaries (physical, spatial, and procedural) that prevent transmission of impurity in communal acts.
Application: When organizing śrāddha/brahma-bhojana, seat diners with proper separators or distinct rows/thresholds to avoid paṅkti-doṣa.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ācāra): Śrāddha & Bhojana-vidhi (rules of ritual dining and impurity)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha dining row where separators are placed: a small water line/pot, darbha grass, a pinch of ash, and spatial breaks like a doorway or path; nearby, agnihotra fire is tended, indicating procedural separation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, long dining row on banana leaves, clear separators (water pot, darbha bundle, ash mark), doorway threshold shown, small agnihotra fire at side, ornate border motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ceremonial dining with gold accents, priests seated in rows, highlighted separators and a small homa-kunda, architectural doorway emphasized with gilded arch.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional diagram-like scene: labeled separators (udaka, tṛṇa, bhasma, dvāra, panthā), plus agnyādhāna/agnihotra vignette, clean composition and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtyard feast with precise spatial divisions, doorway and pathway perspective, attendants placing water and grass separators, delicate architectural rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उदकञ्च → उदकम् + च; द्वारम्पन्थाः → द्वारम् + पन्थाः; अग्न्याधानम् → अग्नि + आधानम्; अन्यगोत्रो ऽन्यसम्बन्धः → अन्यगोत्रः + अन्यसम्बन्धः; एभिरन्तरितं → एभिः + अन्तरितम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 166 (bhojana-vidhi and śauca rules)
FAQs
It teaches how to prevent paṅkti-doṣa (row contamination) during śrāddha/ritual feasts by inserting separators (water, kuśa grass, ash, doorway, path) or by ensuring an intervening separation such as agnyādhāna/agnihotra, or by arranging diners so incompatible associations are not contiguous.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical Dharmaśāstra-style procedure—fine-grained rules of commensality, purity, and ritual logistics—showing the Agni Purāṇa’s coverage of social-ritual law alongside theology.
Correctly avoiding paṅkti-doṣa safeguards the purity and efficacy of śrāddha offerings; it protects the intended merit (puṇya) of the rite and prevents ritual demerit arising from improper association in the dining row.