Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 38
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
लशुनं गृञ्जनं भुक्त्वेति ङ शिशुकृच्छ्रं समाचरेदिति ख अभोज्यानान्तु भुक्त्वान्नं स्त्रीशूद्रोच्छिष्टमेव च जग्ध्वा मांसमभक्ष्यञ्च सप्तरात्रं पयः पिवेत्
laśunaṃ gṛñjanaṃ bhuktveti ṅa śiśukṛcchraṃ samācarediti kha abhojyānāntu bhuktvānnaṃ strīśūdrocchiṣṭameva ca jagdhvā māṃsamabhakṣyañca saptarātraṃ payaḥ pivet
ਲਸਣ ਜਾਂ ਪਿਆਜ਼ ਖਾ ਲਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ‘ਸ਼ਿਸ਼ੁ-ਕ੍ਰਿਚ੍ਛ੍ਰ’ ਕਰੇ। ਪਰ ਅਭੋਜ੍ਯ ਅੰਨ, ਇਸਤਰੀ ਜਾਂ ਸ਼ੂਦਰ ਦਾ ਉੱਛਿਸ਼ਟ, ਜਾਂ ਨਿਸ਼ਿਧ ਮਾਸ ਖਾ ਲਿਆ ਹੋਵੇ ਤਾਂ ਸੱਤ ਰਾਤਾਂ ਤੱਕ ਕੇਵਲ ਦੁੱਧ ਪੀਵੇ।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Applying differentiated expiations: Śiśu-kṛcchra for garlic/onion; seven-night milk-only regimen for heavier food transgressions (forbidden foods, eating others’ ucchiṣṭa, impermissible meat).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dietary Transgression Expiations: Śiśu-kṛcchra and Sapta-rātra Payovrata","lookup_keywords":["laśuna","gṛñjana (onion)","ucchiṣṭa","abhakṣya māṃsa","sapta-rātra payaḥ"],"quick_summary":"Garlic/onion intake is expiated by Śiśu-kṛcchra; more serious forbidden eating requires a seven-night milk-only observance."}
Concept: Graded prāyaścitta: the remedy scales with the perceived ritual impurity of the act.
Application: Use a decision rule: (garlic/onion) → Śiśu-kṛcchra; (abhakṣya/ucchiṣṭa/impermissible meat) → 7 nights milk-only.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta / Dharma-śāstra (Expiations and Purificatory Observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: jugupsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Atonement scenes: one shows a minor penance after eating garlic/onion; another shows a seven-night vow where the penitent drinks only milk, with a calendar-like progression of nights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, restrained palette, penitent with a milk bowl (pātra) and water pot, seven small moon symbols indicating nights, background with simple household shrine","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure holding a silver/gold-rimmed milk vessel, gold leaf on utensils, devotional austerity posture, ornate border","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional panel with seven compartments (nights) each showing milk-only intake, clear ritual cleanliness cues (darbha, clean vessels)","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed still-life of foods labeled as forbidden and a separate scene of the penitent taking milk at night under a lamp, fine architectural interior details"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhuktvā + iti → bhuktveti; samācaret + iti → samācarediti; abhojyānām + tu → abhojyānāntu; bhuktvā + annam → bhuktvānnam; strīśūdra + ucchiṣṭam → strīśūdrocchiṣṭam; māṃsam + abhakṣyam + ca → māṃsamabhakṣyañca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (food-related prāyaścitta sequence)
FAQs
It prescribes specific prāyaścittas: a light penance (Śiśu-kṛcchra) for eating garlic/onion, and a seven-night milk-only regimen for eating forbidden foods, certain leftovers (ucchiṣṭa), or prohibited meat.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s dharma-śāstra coverage by codifying practical rules for dietary transgressions and their expiations, alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, arts).
The acts named are treated as sources of impurity or demerit; the prescribed penances function as purification (śuddhi) and karmic remediation, restoring ritual fitness through controlled austerity and diet.