Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 30
Yati-dharma
The Dharma of the Renunciate Ascetic
भावशुद्धश् च ब्रह्माण्डं भित्त्वा ब्रह्म भवेन्नरः आषढ्यां पौर्णमास्याञ्च चातुर्मास्यं व्रतञ्चरेत्
bhāvaśuddhaś ca brahmāṇḍaṃ bhittvā brahma bhavennaraḥ āṣaḍhyāṃ paurṇamāsyāñca cāturmāsyaṃ vratañcaret
भावशुद्धीने युक्त मनुष्य ब्रह्मांड भेदून (अतिक्रमून) ब्रह्मरूप होतो. आषाढ पौर्णिमेला त्याने चातुर्मास्य व्रत आरंभ करावे.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana instructions to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Calendar-based observance: begin Cāturmāsya on Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā with inner purification (bhāva-śuddhi), using the vow as a structured discipline for restraint, worship, and study through the rainy season.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cāturmāsya Vrata Commencement on Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā","lookup_keywords":["cāturmāsya","āṣāḍha-paurṇamāsī","bhāva-śuddhi","vrata","brahmāṇḍa-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Prescribes starting the Cāturmāsya vow on the full moon of Āṣāḍha, emphasizing inner purity as the means to transcend worldly limitation and orient life toward Brahman-realization."}
Concept: Bhāva-śuddhi (purity of intention/inner disposition) as the decisive factor enabling ‘brahmāṇḍa-bheda’—transcending conditioned existence toward Brahman.
Application: Treat the vow as a container for mind-training: regulate food, speech, travel, and sensuality; increase japa, dāna, svādhyāya, and pūjā across the four months.
Khanda Section: Vrata-Dharma (Purification vows and calendrical observances)
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Calendar/Seasonal observance
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder or ascetic begins Cāturmāsya on Āṣāḍha full moon: moonlit riverbank/temple courtyard, vow-taking with water-pot, lamp, and offerings; symbolic cosmic egg shown as a translucent sphere being ‘pierced’ by a ray of insight.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, full moon over temple tank, devotee taking saṅkalpa with pañcapātra, priests nearby, stylized brahmāṇḍa as an oval cosmic form split by a white beam, rich ochres and greens, ritual objects clearly rendered","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure taking vrata-saṅkalpa before Viṣṇu/Śiva altar, gold moon-disc and ornate arch, embossed ritual vessels, inscriptions of ‘Cāturmāsya’, luminous devotional setting","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional layout: calendar mark ‘Āṣāḍha Pūrṇimā’, devotee seated with guru, neat depiction of saṅkalpa, lamp, water, flowers; soft colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, moonlit courtyard with scholar-priest reading almanac, devotee making vow, delicate architecture, monsoon clouds gathering, subtle allegory of cosmic sphere pierced by a thin golden line"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhāvaśuddhaś ca = bhāvaśuddhaḥ + ca; bhavennaraḥ = bhavet + naraḥ; paurṇamāsyāñca = paurṇamāsyām + ca; vratañcaret = vratam + caret.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vrata-khaṇḍa passages on Cāturmāsya and monthly observances around 161; Agni Purana sections on purification (śauca) and prāyaścitta linked to vrata practice
FAQs
It specifies the calendrical trigger for the Cāturmāsya vrata: begin the four-month observance on the Āṣāḍha full-moon day, emphasizing inner purity (bhāva-śuddhi) as the operative prerequisite.
It combines metaphysical soteriology (transcending the brahmāṇḍa and attaining Brahman) with practical dharma-ritual scheduling (Āṣāḍha paurṇamāsī as the start of Cāturmāsya), illustrating the Purana’s breadth from philosophy to applied religious practice.
The verse links vow-observance grounded in inner purity to liberation-oriented fruit: disciplined Cāturmāsya practice, undertaken with bhāva-śuddhi, is portrayed as a means toward transcending worldly limitation and approaching Brahman-realization.