Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 46
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
अनाथं व्राह्मणं प्रेतं ये वहन्ति द्विजातयः पदे पदे यज्ञफलं शुद्धिः स्यात् स्नानमात्रतः
anāthaṃ vrāhmaṇaṃ pretaṃ ye vahanti dvijātayaḥ pade pade yajñaphalaṃ śuddhiḥ syāt snānamātrataḥ
जे द्विज अनाथ ब्राह्मणाचा प्रेतदेह वाहून नेतात, त्यांना प्रत्येक पावलागणिक यज्ञफळ मिळते; आणि त्यांची शुद्धी केवळ स्नानानेच होते.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa narration)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Encourages community responsibility for unattended deaths; specifies minimal purification and states extraordinary merit for carrying an orphaned Brahmin’s body.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Merit of carrying an anātha Brahmin’s corpse; purification by bath alone","lookup_keywords":["anātha-brāhmaṇa","preta-vahana","yajña-phala","snāna-śuddhi","antyeṣṭi-sevā"],"quick_summary":"Twice-born who carry the body of a Brahmin without relatives gain sacrifice-like merit at every step, and their impurity is removed by bathing alone—promoting compassionate funerary service."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti
Concept: Sevā to the helpless (anātha) in death is a high dharmic act yielding great puṇya; purity rules are eased to facilitate compassion.
Application: Motivates qualified community members to perform last rites assistance for the unclaimed dead without fear of prolonged impurity.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha & Antyeṣṭi-vidhi (Funerary rites, impurity/purification, merit of service)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Twice-born men carrying an unclaimed Brahmin’s body toward the cremation ground; each step symbolically marked as yajña-merit; afterward, simple bathing for purification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, procession with bier-bearers in white, compassionate faces, cremation ground with sacred fire prepared, repeated footstep motifs as symbolic yajña-phala, subdued yet luminous palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf on sacrificial/fire elements and halo-like emphasis on dharmic service, bier-bearers in austere attire, ornate border, solemn devotional mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative sequence: carrying to śmaśāna then bathing, emphasis on gestures and ritual objects, calm instructional composition","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed funeral procession through landscape, careful rendering of bier, attendants, and cremation ground, subtle symbolism of repeated steps, refined color gradations"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yajñaphalaṃ = yajña-phalam; snānamātrataḥ = snāna-mātrataḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (antyeṣṭi, śauca gradations, merit statements)
FAQs
It gives an Antyeṣṭi/Śauca rule: assisting in transporting an unclaimed Brahmin’s body yields high ritual merit, and the carriers’ post-contact purification is achieved by simple bathing (snāna) rather than heavier expiations.
It exemplifies the text’s dharma-encyclopedia style by combining social duty (care for the unclaimed dead), ritual procedure (what to do), and ritual jurisprudence (degree of impurity and its remedy) in a compact, practical rule.
Serving a helpless deceased Brahmin is treated as extraordinarily meritorious—equal to repeated sacrificial fruits ‘at every step’—and the act is framed as spiritually purifying, requiring only a bath to restore ritual cleanliness.