Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 7
Chapter 291 — Śāntyāyurveda
Ayurveda for Pacificatory Rites): Go-śānti, Penance-Regimens, and Therapeutics (incl. Veterinary Care
एकरात्रोपवासश् च श्वपाकमपि शोधयेत् सर्वाशुभविनाशाय पुराचीरतमीश्वरैः
ekarātropavāsaś ca śvapākamapi śodhayet sarvāśubhavināśāya purācīratamīśvaraiḥ
Um jejum de uma única noite pode purificar até mesmo um śvapāka (aquele tido pela convenção social como o mais impuro); foi prescrito desde tempos antigos pelos Senhores como meio para a destruição de toda inauspiciosidade.
Lord Agni (traditional Agni Purana frame: Agni instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"One-night upavāsa as a minimal prāyaścitta for removing aśubha and restoring ritual/social purity after impurity-contact or transgression.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Ekarātra-upavāsa as Śuddhi (One-night fast for purification)","lookup_keywords":["ekarātra-upavāsa","śuddhi","prāyaścitta","śvapāka","aśubha-nāśa"],"quick_summary":"A single-night fast is taught as a powerful purifier, even for those considered highly impure by convention, and is framed as a general remedy for inauspiciousness."}
Concept: Tapas (self-restraint) functions as a purifier overriding conventional impurity when aligned with śāstric injunction.
Application: Use simple, accessible austerity (fasting) to reset conduct and ritual eligibility, coupled with resolve not to repeat the fault.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śuddhi-vidhi (Expiations and Purificatory Observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A restrained ascetic or householder sits on a simple mat at night, hands in añjali, with a water pot nearby; the mood is purification through one-night fasting, symbolically washing away dark aśubha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, a vrata-observer seated in padmāsana under a night sky, small kamandalu and lamp, subtle aura of śuddhi, minimal background, traditional ornament lines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central figure performing ekarātra-upavāsa with gold-leaf halo, lamp and kalasha, ornate border, symbolic dark cloud of aśubha dissolving, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, clean linework, instructional depiction of one-night fast: sunset-to-sunrise timeline motifs, simple household setting, calm face, delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, night courtyard with a fasting devotee, fine textiles and architecture, small oil lamp, attendants absent to emphasize solitude, detailed stars, subdued palette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekarātropavāsaḥ = ekarātra-upavāsaḥ; śvapākamapi = śvapākam api; sarvāśubhavināśāya = sarva-aśubha-vināśāya; purācīratamīśvaraiḥ = purā ācīratam īśvaraiḥ
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Prāyaścitta-śuddhi sections (kṛcchra, sāntapana, upavāsa-vidhi)
FAQs
It teaches a prāyaścitta method: a single-night fast (ekarātra-upavāsa) as a purificatory observance capable of removing severe impurity/inauspiciousness.
It exemplifies the text’s practical dharma-content—cataloging concrete expiations and ritual remedies alongside other sciences—showing how the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of applied religious law and purification rites.
The verse asserts that disciplined fasting has strong purifying karmic efficacy, capable of destroying “all inauspiciousness” (sarvāśubha-vināśa) when undertaken as a sanctioned expiation.