Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 8
Srāvādya-śauca
Impurity due to bodily discharge and allied causes
यत्र त्रिरात्रं विप्राणामशौचं सम्प्रदृश्यते तत्र शूद्रे द्वादशाहः षण्णव क्षत्रवैशय्योः
yatra trirātraṃ viprāṇāmaśaucaṃ sampradṛśyate tatra śūdre dvādaśāhaḥ ṣaṇṇava kṣatravaiśayyoḥ
ਜਿੱਥੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣਾਂ ਲਈ ਤਿੰਨ ਰਾਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਆਸ਼ੌਚ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਿਤ ਹੈ, ਉਸੇ ਹੀ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ੂਦਰ ਲਈ ਬਾਰਾਂ ਦਿਨ; ਖ਼ਤਰੀ ਲਈ ਛੇ ਦਿਨ ਅਤੇ ਵੈਸ਼ ਲਈ ਨੌਂ ਦਿਨ (ਆਸ਼ੌਚ-ਕਾਲ) ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha, traditional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Determining the correct duration of aśauca (ritual impurity) after death/birth events according to varṇa, so that daily rites, śrāddha, and social/ritual interactions resume at the proper time.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Varṇa-bheda in Aśauca Duration (3/6/9/12 days)","lookup_keywords":["aśauca","śuddhi-kāla","varṇa-bheda","brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdra","trirātra dvādaśāha"],"quick_summary":"The verse gives a comparative rule: when the brāhmaṇa aśauca is three nights, the corresponding periods are six for kṣatriya, nine for vaiśya, and twelve for śūdra. It functions as a conversion key for parallel cases."}
Concept: Ritual purity is time-bound and socially regulated; dharma specifies graded observances to restore eligibility (adhikāra) for rites.
Application: Use the stated durations to schedule cessation/resumption of agnihotra, sandhyā, śrāddha, temple entry, and communal meals after an impurity-causing event.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Ashauca & Shuddhi Vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household in mourning with a calendar-like depiction of counted days (3, 6, 9, 12) assigned to four varṇas, showing suspension and resumption of daily rites.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, muted earth pigments, a domestic courtyard with ritual markers (water pot, darbha grass), four figures representing varṇas, inscriptions of 3-6-9-12 days, calm instructional composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style with gold leaf accents, symbolic panel showing four seated figures with distinct attire, each framed with a gold arch, day-count numerals (3/6/9/12) on palm-leaf manuscripts, auspicious yet restrained mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, didactic layout like a dharma chart, household priest pointing to a palm-leaf table of aśauca durations for brāhmaṇa/kṣatriya/vaiśya/śūdra.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior scene of a family consulting a pandit, marginal notes showing 3-6-9-12, subdued palette indicating mourning and regulation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विप्राणामशौचं → विप्राणाम् + अशौचम्; त्रिरात्रं → त्रि + रात्रम्; सम्प्रदृश्यते as sam+pra+√dṛś (passive); क्षत्रवैशय्योः interpreted as द्वन्द्व ‘क्षत्र(िय)+वैश्य’ with dual ending -योः; षण्णव taken as षट्+नव (15) with elided ‘अहः/अहानि’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 158 (Aśauca-śuddhi context); Agni Purana sections on Śrāddha/Antyeṣṭi procedures (nearby in the same khanda)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-technical rule for calculating aśauca (ritual impurity) durations by varṇa: 3 nights for Brāhmaṇas, 6 for Kṣatriyas, 9 for Vaiśyas, and 12 for Śūdras in the same circumstance.
Alongside theology and worship, the Agni Purana preserves applied dharma material—social-ritual law like mourning/purity regulations—showing its coverage of practical governance of religious life (śuddhi, saṁskāra, and conduct).
Observing the correct aśauca period is treated as necessary for restoring ritual eligibility (adhikāra) for worship, offerings, and daily rites, supporting purity (śuddhi) and orderly performance of dharma.