Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 23
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
अक्षयाय यतिः श्राद्धे पङ्क्तिपावनपावनः आरूढो नैष्ठिकन्धर्मं यस्तु प्रच्यवते द्विजः
akṣayāya yatiḥ śrāddhe paṅktipāvanapāvanaḥ ārūḍho naiṣṭhikandharmaṃ yastu pracyavate dvijaḥ
No Śrāddha, o yati (renunciante) é para mérito akṣaya (imperecível) e purifica a fileira dos que se assentam para a refeição. Mas o dvija (duas-vezes-nascido) que, tendo assumido o naiṣṭhika-dharma (disciplina firme), dele se desvia—não é assim.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s didactic flow)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Śrāddha planning: whom to invite/seat in the pāṅkti (dining line), and how eligibility affects akṣaya-phala (imperishable merit).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Yati in Śrāddha as Pāṅkti-pāvana; exclusion of fallen Naiṣṭhika","lookup_keywords":["śrāddha","yati","pāṅkti-pāvana","naiṣṭhika-dharma","patita-dvija"],"quick_summary":"A true renunciant invited to Śrāddha is said to confer imperishable merit and purify the dining line; one who has fallen from a vowed steadfast discipline is not accorded that status."}
Concept: Adhikāra (eligibility) and śīla (steadfast conduct) determine ritual efficacy; renunciation is honored when authentic and unfallen.
Application: Select qualified invitees; uphold vows—falling from naiṣṭhika discipline diminishes ritual authority and social-ritual trust.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha-vidhi (Pitṛ-kāṇḍa / Ancestor-rites and ritual law)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder conducts Śrāddha: a serene yati is seated prominently in the dining line while a fallen ascetic is respectfully excluded; offerings to pitṛs are arranged with kuśa, piṇḍa, and water-vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, warm earthy palette, śrāddha scene in a traditional courtyard, yati with daṇḍa/kamaṇḍalu seated as pāṅkti-pāvana, ritual vessels and piṇḍas, stylized faces and ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central yati with halo-like aureole, gold-leaf detailing on vessels and textiles, śrāddha altar with piṇḍas and kuśa, householder in dhoti offering arghya, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework, instructional composition showing seating order of pāṅkti, labels implied by gestures, subtle gold highlights, calm domestic ritual setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed interior courtyard, precise textiles and utensils, yati seated among brāhmaṇas, householder serving, narrative contrast with a withdrawn fallen ascetic at the edge, fine brushwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: naiṣṭhikandharmaṃ → naiṣṭhika-dharmaṃ (कर्मधारय-समास). yastu → yaḥ tu. paṅktipāvanapāvanaḥ treated as compound paṅkti-pāvana-pāvanaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165 (Śrāddha-vidhi and pāṅkti-śuddhi context)
FAQs
It gives a śrāddha technical rule about pātra (eligibility): inviting a yati (renunciant) yields akṣaya (undiminishing) merit and purifies the paṅkti, while a dvija who has lapsed from naiṣṭhika discipline is implicitly unsuitable.
It exemplifies the Purāṇa’s dharma-śāstra-like coverage of ritual procedure—codifying participant qualifications, purity logic, and karmic outcomes within ancestor rites, alongside its many other disciplines.
Honoring a true renunciant in śrāddha is said to produce imperishable merit and communal purification, whereas religious backsliding (from vowed steadfast discipline) diminishes ritual fitness and the intended sanctifying effect.