Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
यजेत वाश्वमेधेन स्वर्जिता गोसवेन वा जपन्वान्यतमं वेदं योजनानां शतं ब्रजेत्
yajeta vāśvamedhena svarjitā gosavena vā japanvānyatamaṃ vedaṃ yojanānāṃ śataṃ brajet
Deve-se realizar o sacrifício por meio do Aśvamedha; ou, para alcançar o céu, por meio do rito Gosava; ou, recitando qualquer um dos Vedas, deve-se percorrer cem yojanas.
Lord Agni (narrating to Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Lists alternative expiatory equivalences: major sacrifices, a specific rite (gosava), or long-distance pilgrimage while reciting Veda—used to calibrate penance to capacity and context.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Prāyaścitta Equivalences: Aśvamedha, Gosava, Veda-japa with Yātrā","lookup_keywords":["aśvamedha","gosava","veda-japa","yojana","prāyaścitta"],"quick_summary":"The verse provides graded options for expiation/merit: performing great rites or undertaking a disciplined Vedic recitation while traveling a prescribed distance."}
Concept: Karma-śuddhi through yajña, vrata, and śruti-japa; multiple valid paths scaled by ability.
Application: Encourages substitutive penances: if one cannot perform grand śrauta rites, one may adopt disciplined recitation and pilgrimage as an accessible expiation.
Khanda Section: Dharma–Prāyaścitta (Expiations and equivalences of merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual scene of a grand horse-sacrifice juxtaposed with a wandering Veda-reciter traveling long distances; the verse visually suggests alternative routes to purification—yajña, rite, and pilgrimage with chanting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split-panel narrative: left shows aśvamedha altar with stylized horse and priests; right shows a brahmin traveler with palm-leaf manuscript chanting, walking a long road with sacred trees, decorative borders and flat color fields","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central yajña-kunda with gold embossing, horse motif with ornate trappings, secondary vignette of a chanting pilgrim, gold highlights on ritual vessels, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout: three options depicted in sequence—(1) aśvamedha, (2) gosava rite with cow symbolism, (3) Veda-japa traveler with distance markers; fine linework and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly sacrificial pavilion with detailed textiles and priests, then a landscape road scene with a solitary reciter; meticulous architecture and perspective, subdued but elegant colors"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vā + aśvamedhena → vāśvamedhena; japan + vā + anyatamam → japanvānyatamam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: yajña descriptions (aśvamedha-related passages); Agni Purana: japa and vrata sections
FAQs
It lists high-merit Vedic options—Aśvamedha, the Gosava rite, and a disciplined journey undertaken while reciting a Veda—presented as powerful merit-producing observances.
It compresses multiple domains of dharma practice—śrauta sacrifice (Aśvamedha), specialized Vedic rite (Gosava), and vow-like religious travel with Vedic recitation—showing the text’s catalog-style coverage of ritual and expiation themes.
The verse emphasizes that extraordinary ritual merit (svarga-oriented fruit) can be pursued through major sacrifices or through disciplined recitation and pilgrimage-like effort, highlighting karmic purification through sanctioned Vedic means.