Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 9
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
द्व्यब्दे नैवाग्निसंस्कारो मृते तन्निखनेद् भुवि न चोदकक्रिया तस्य नाम्नि चापि कृते सति
dvyabde naivāgnisaṃskāro mṛte tannikhaned bhuvi na codakakriyā tasya nāmni cāpi kṛte sati
Jika seorang kanak-kanak meninggal sebelum genap dua tahun, tiada upacara api (agni-saṃskāra, pembakaran mayat) dilakukan; sebaliknya jasad hendaklah ditanam di bumi. Bagi kanak-kanak itu, tiada juga dilakukan upacara persembahan air (udaka-kriyā), walaupun namanya telah pun diberikan.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samskara-vidhi","practical_application":"Guiding funerary handling for infants under two years: burial instead of cremation, and omission of udaka-kriyā, preventing improper rites and ensuring correct family observances.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Antyeṣṭi for Child Under Two Years (Burial; No Udaka-kriyā)","lookup_keywords":["dvī-abda","bāla-maraṇa","nidhana","bhūmi-nikṣepa","udaka-kriyā"],"quick_summary":"For a child dying before two years, the body is buried (not cremated) and water-offering rites are not performed, even if naming has occurred. This is a specific exception within antyeṣṭi norms."}
Concept: Saṃskāras are applied with eligibility conditions; rites vary by age/adhikāra, and dharma recognizes graded ritual treatment of death.
Application: In family bereavement involving an infant, perform earth-burial with appropriate restraint, and avoid udaka-kriyā/cremation rites that are prescribed for older persons.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha and Antyeṣṭi (Funerary rites and post-death observances)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A small funeral scene: elders gently placing an infant’s body into a prepared earth pit, with no cremation fire, and a priest indicating omission of water offerings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, compassionate domestic scene near a garden edge, priest with palm-leaf text, family in subdued colors, earth pit prepared with darbha, no flames present.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, symbolic composition: earth mound and burial pit centered, priest holding śāstra, family figures with minimal ornament, gold used sparingly to frame the dharma injunction.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear instructional depiction: two panels—crossed-out cremation pyre and highlighted burial in earth; annotation-like visuals for ‘no udaka-kriyā’.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate courtyard burial with detailed textiles, mourners seated, a learned figure gesturing to a manuscript stating ‘dvī-abde’ rule, muted tones."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव → न + एव; तन्निखनेद् → तत् + निखनेत्; चोदकक्रिया → च + उदकक्रिया; चापि → च + अपि. ‘मृते…कृते सति’ form locative-absolute constructions.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Śrāddha/Antyeṣṭi rules nearby)
FAQs
It gives a specific antyeṣṭi rule: for deaths occurring before two years of age, burial is prescribed instead of cremation, and udaka-kriyā (water offerings) is omitted even if naming has occurred.
It preserves practical dharma-ritual jurisprudence—age-based exceptions in funerary procedure—showing the text’s coverage beyond mythology into applied ritual law and household religious practice.
The verse frames an age-appropriate rite: the child is not subjected to full adult post-death rites, indicating a differentiated karmic/ritual status and aiming to maintain ritual propriety (śuddhi) for both family and deceased.