Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 5
The Livelihood of the Householder (गृहस्थवृत्तिः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 152
ऋतामृताभ्यां जीवेत मृतेन प्रमृतेन वा सत्यानृताभ्यामपिवा न स्ववृत्त्या कदा च न
ṛtāmṛtābhyāṃ jīveta mṛtena pramṛtena vā satyānṛtābhyāmapivā na svavṛttyā kadā ca na
ਮਨੁੱਖ ਨੂੰ ਤ ਅਤੇ ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਲ, ਜਾਂ ਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਲ ਜੀਵਨ ਨਿਭਾਉਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ; ਸੱਚ ਵਿੱਚ ਝੂਠ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਕਦੇ ਕਦੇ ਚੱਲ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ—ਪਰ ਸਦਾਚਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਤੋੜਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਆਪਣੀ ਨਿੰਦਣਯ ਜੀਵਿਕਾ ਨਾਲ ਕਦੇ ਨਹੀਂ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purāṇa’s standard narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Provides an ethical hierarchy of livelihood modes (ṛta/amṛta/mṛta/pramṛta) and warns against ignoble self-serving conduct, guiding personal and civic integrity in earning.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ṛta–Amṛta–Mṛta–Pramṛta: Modes of Livelihood","lookup_keywords":["ṛta","amṛta","mṛta","pramṛta","ājīvikā"],"quick_summary":"One should live by approved means (variously classified as ṛta/amṛta etc.); even mixed truth/untruth may occur in worldly dealings, but one must never adopt a base livelihood that violates right conduct."}
Concept: Ājīvikā must align with sadācāra; moral compromise in speech may be contextually tolerated, but corrupt livelihood is categorically rejected.
Application: Personal ethics for professions: avoid exploitative trades, fraud, and harmful occupations; choose sustenance compatible with dharma and social welfare.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Niti-shastra (Ethics of livelihood and conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-sage instructs householders; four labeled paths of livelihood are shown symbolically, with a barred/forbidden path representing base conduct.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, guru seated with palm-leaf manuscript, four symbolic panels for ṛta/amṛta/mṛta/pramṛta, the ‘adharma-vṛtti’ panel darkened, strong iconographic clarity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, sage with gold halo, four medallions naming livelihood modes, ornate frame, moral emphasis with a red ‘prohibited’ motif on base livelihood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic instructional scene: guru, students, four pathways with short labels, gentle colors and fine linework for didactic readability","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate teaching circle, calligraphic labels for the four terms, subtle allegorical vignettes of honest trade vs corrupt trade"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ṛtāmṛtābhyāṃ = ṛta + amṛtābhyām (dvandva); satyānṛtābhyāmapivā = satya-anṛtābhyām + api + vā; svavṛttyā = sva-vṛttyā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rajadharma—ājīvikā, sadācāra, and vyavahāra ethics (immediate context)
FAQs
It teaches a graded ethic of livelihood (vṛtti-dharma): prefer blameless, lawful means (ṛta/amṛta); in hardship, lesser or exceptional means may be tolerated, but one must not adopt an inherently ignoble/adharmic profession as one’s standing livelihood.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical governance and social ethics (nīti/rajadharma), including nuanced rules for earning, speech, and survival—showing its wide-ranging, handbook-like scope.
It prioritizes purity of means and intention: sustaining life is allowed with graded concessions in crisis, but normalizing adharmic livelihood is karmically corrosive and undermines one’s dharma and inner purity.