Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
गणान्नं गणिकान्नं च वार्धुषेर्गायनस्य च अभिशप्तस्य षण्डस्य यस्याश्चोपपतिर्गृहे
gaṇānnaṃ gaṇikānnaṃ ca vārdhuṣergāyanasya ca abhiśaptasya ṣaṇḍasya yasyāścopapatirgṛhe
ଗଣ (ନୀଚ ସଙ୍ଗ)ର ଅନ୍ନ, ଗଣିକାର ଅନ୍ନ, ସୁଦଖୋର ଓ ବୃତ୍ତିଗାୟକର ଅନ୍ନ; ଏବଂ ଶପ୍ତ, ଷଣ୍ଡ (ନପୁଂସକ) ଓ ଯାହାର ଘରେ ଉପପତି (ପରପୁରୁଷ) ରହେ ସେହି ସ୍ତ୍ରୀର ଅନ୍ନ—ବର୍ଜନୀୟ।
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the usual Agni Purāṇa narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidelines for assessing food-sharing and commensality (anna-śuddhi) in household, court, and ritual contexts to avoid social/ritual impurity and reputational risk.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Anna-śuddhi: Forbidden food sources (gaṇa, gaṇikā, vārddhuṣi, gāyana, etc.)","lookup_keywords":["anna-śuddhi","apātra-bhojana","gaṇikānna","vārddhuṣi","upapati"],"quick_summary":"Avoid accepting or eating food from socially censured persons/households (courtesan, usurer, professional singer, cursed person, eunuch, and a house harboring a paramour), as such commensality is treated as ritually and ethically contaminating."}
Concept: Śuddhi (purity) in food-relations as a marker of dharmic order and social trust.
Application: In ritual meals, hospitality, and courtly dining, verify the moral/ritual standing of the giver and the household context before accepting food.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Dharmashastra (Rules on purity/impurity of food and social conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-teacher instructs householders on whom to avoid for accepting food; vignettes show a courtesan’s house, a moneylender, a singer, a cursed person, a eunuch, and a home marked by an illicit lover.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette, a seated rishi teaching anna-śuddhi, surrounding narrative panels: gaṇikā with attendants, moneylender with scales, singer with vīṇā, a cursed figure with dark aura, a eunuch, and a house with a hidden paramour; flat decorative backgrounds, traditional ornaments.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central guru figure with halo and gold leaf, stylized icons around: courtesan, usurer with coin bags, musician, cursed man, eunuch, and a household doorway implying illicit liaison; rich reds/greens, embossed jewelry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, instructional tableau: teacher pointing to a list tablet, small labeled scenes of each forbidden food-source; muted elegance, minimal background architecture.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly setting with a jurist advising nobles on dining etiquette; detailed figures: courtesan’s salon, moneylender’s desk, musician’s performance, and a discreet domestic scandal scene; fine borders, delicate textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गणान्नम् = गण + अन्नम्; गणिकान्नम् = गणिका + अन्नम्; वार्धुषेर्गायनस्य = वार्धुषेः + गायनस्य; यस्याश्चोपपतिः = यस्याः + च + उपपतिः; उपपतिर्गृहे = उपपतिः + गृहे (विसर्ग-लोप)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (anna-śuddhi/apātra lists); Agni Purana sections on ācāra and dāna-śuddhi
FAQs
It gives anna-śuddhi (food-purity) guidance: avoid accepting/eating food from socially and ritually censured sources, as such food is treated as impurifying for household and religious observance.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical Dharmashastra material—lists of acceptable and unacceptable food sources—showing its coverage of governance, social ethics, and ritual hygiene.
Food is a carrier of saṃskāra (moral/ritual imprint); consuming or accepting food from censured associations is said to diminish purity and merit, obstructing vrata, dāna, and worship.