Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 11
Chapter 153 — Brahmacarya-āśrama-dharma
The Dharma of the Student Stage
वासोपवीते कार्पासक्षौमोर्णानां यथाक्रमं आदिमध्यावसानेषु भवच्छब्दोपलक्षितं
vāsopavīte kārpāsakṣaumorṇānāṃ yathākramaṃ ādimadhyāvasāneṣu bhavacchabdopalakṣitaṃ
ਵਸਤ੍ਰ ਅਤੇ ਉਪਵੀਤ ਦੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕਪਾਹ, ਖ਼ੌਮ (ਲਿਨਨ/ਸਣ) ਅਤੇ ਉਨ ਵਰਤਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ। ਅਤੇ ਬੋਲਚਾਲ ਦੇ ਆਰੰਭ, ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਅੰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਭਵਤ੍’ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਨਾਲ ਆਦਰ-ਸੂਚਕ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਦਰਸਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Specifies acceptable materials for garments and yajñopavīta by varṇa/sequence, and prescribes polite address using ‘bhavat’ placed appropriately in speech.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vāsa-Upavīta Dravya & ‘Bhavat’ Sambodhana-Nyāsa","lookup_keywords":["yajñopavīta","vāsa","kārpāsa","kṣauma","ūrṇa","bhavat"],"quick_summary":"Use cotton, linen, and wool respectively for garment and sacred thread as per order. In respectful address, employ ‘bhavat’ appropriately at the beginning, middle, or end of one’s utterance."}
Concept: Outer purity (proper cloth/thread) and inner/social purity (respectful speech) together constitute right conduct.
Application: Select thread/cloth materials per rule; cultivate formal respectful address in ritual and social settings.
Khanda Section: Pūjā-vidhi (Ritual Procedure: garments, yajñopavīta, and honorific modes of address)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual setting showing three textiles—cotton, linen, wool—laid beside a sacred thread; a student practicing respectful speech to an elder, with ‘bhavat’ indicated in different positions of a sentence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, pūjā-vidhi scene with folded cotton/linen/wool cloths and yajñopavīta, elder and student in respectful dialogue, stylized speech-scroll motif for ‘bhavat’ placement","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted yajñopavīta and ritual garments, dignified elder receiving respectful address, ornate interior, emphasis on textiles’ sheen","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition: three fabric samples labeled by texture, sacred thread beside them, small vignettes showing ‘bhavat’ at start/middle/end of speech, clean lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined indoor scene with detailed fabrics and thread, student addressing a learned elder, subtle calligraphic cartouche hinting ‘bhavat’, naturalistic textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वासोपवीते = वास + उपवीते (द्वन्द्व); कार्पासक्षौमोर्णानाम् = कार्पास + क्षौम + ऊर्णानाम् (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); आदिमध्यावसानेषु = आदि + मध्य + अवसानेषु (समाहार-द्वन्द्व); भवच्छब्दोपलक्षितं = भवत् + शब्द + उपलक्षितम् (तत्पुरुष)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 153 (pūjā-vidhi and saṃskāra accessories); Agni Purana sections on śiṣṭācāra and dāna/ācāra
FAQs
It prescribes the proper materials for ritual garment and sacred thread—cotton, linen, and wool in a fixed order—and instructs formal respectful address using “bhavat” in one’s speech.
Beyond theology, it codifies practical ritual protocol—dress standards and verbal etiquette—showing the text’s coverage of detailed dharma and pūjā procedure alongside broader subjects.
Correct ritual materials and respectful speech are treated as components of śuddhi (purity) and proper ācāra (conduct), supporting the efficacy and merit (puṇya) of worship and rites.