Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 68
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
प्रभाते यद्यशौचं स्याच्छुद्धेरंश् च त्रिभिर्दिनैः उभयत्र दशाहानि कुलस्यान्नं न भुज्यते
prabhāte yadyaśaucaṃ syācchuddheraṃś ca tribhirdinaiḥ ubhayatra daśāhāni kulasyānnaṃ na bhujyate
ਜੇ ਸਵੇਰੇ ਆਸ਼ੌਚ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੋਵੇ, ਤਾਂ ਸ਼ੁੱਧੀ ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਅੰਸ਼ ਤਿੰਨ ਦਿਨਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੂਰਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ; ਪਰ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਹਾਲਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਸ ਦਿਨ ਤੱਕ ਕੁਲ ਦਾ ਪਕਾਇਆ ਅੰਨ ਨਹੀਂ ਖਾਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ।
Lord Agni (instructional narration to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determining the duration and household restrictions during āśauca (ritual impurity), especially food-sharing rules and timing-based purification counting.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Āśauca timing and ten-day household food restriction","lookup_keywords":["āśauca","śuddhi","daśāha","kulasya anna","śauca-kāla"],"quick_summary":"If impurity arises in the morning, a portion of purification is reckoned as completed in three days; nevertheless, for ten days the household should avoid consuming the family’s cooked food as part of āśauca discipline."}
Concept: Ritual purity is time-bound and socially regulated; food is a primary carrier of household ritual status during āśauca.
Application: Observe time-counting rules and avoid intra-household cooked-food consumption for the prescribed period to prevent ritual contamination in rites and social dealings.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Śauca–Āśauca and purification rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household at dawn learning that āśauca has arisen; elders instruct family members to observe purification counting and to refrain from eating the family’s cooked food for ten days.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, interior of a traditional Brahmin household at sunrise, elders in white garments instructing family about āśauca, cooking hearth kept unused, muted earthy reds and ochres, stylized faces and ornaments, calm didactic mood","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, domestic dharma scene with a seated elder holding palm-leaf manuscript, family listening, kitchen vessels set aside, rich gold leaf highlights on borders and ornaments, symmetrical composition, devotional-didactic ambience","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional tableau: calendar/ten-day count shown symbolically, family avoiding shared cooked food, fine linework, soft colors, emphasis on clarity of ritual action","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed household scene at morning, attendants and family in conversation, kitchen area with covered pots untouched, precise architectural interior, delicate textiles, marginal floral motifs, documentary tone"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्यशौचं = यदि + अशौचम्; स्याच्छुद्धेः = स्यात् + शुद्धेः; त्रिभिर्दिनैः = त्रिभिः + दिनैः; कुलस्यान्नं = कुलस्य + अन्नम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Śauca–Āśauca: discharge-related impurity rules); Agni Purana 159 (Antyeṣṭi/Śrāddha-related śauca transitions)
FAQs
It gives a procedural rule of āśauca (ritual impurity): when it begins in the morning, a defined portion of the purification is counted as completed within three days, while a ten-day restriction on consuming the household’s cooked food is maintained.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical Dharma/Smṛti-style regulations for daily life—especially household purity, calendrical counting of impurity, and food conduct—showing its compendium character across ritual, law, and social practice.
Observing āśauca and food restrictions is treated as a discipline of śauca (purity), supporting ritual eligibility and reducing the karmic/ritual fault (doṣa) associated with impurity during sensitive periods.