Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 12
Chapter 171 — प्रायश्चित्तानि
Prāyaścittāni / Expiations
फलैर् मासं फलं कृच्छ्रं बिल्वैः श्रीक्च्छ्र ईरितः पद्माक्षैः स्यादामलकैः पुष्पकृच्छ्रं तु पुष्पकैः
phalair māsaṃ phalaṃ kṛcchraṃ bilvaiḥ śrīkcchra īritaḥ padmākṣaiḥ syādāmalakaiḥ puṣpakṛcchraṃ tu puṣpakaiḥ
Viver durante um mês apenas de frutos chama-se «Phala-kṛcchra». Quando é realizado com frutos de bilva, declara-se «Śrī-kṛcchra». Quando é feito com sementes de padmākṣa ou com frutos de āmalaka, torna-se «Puṣpa-kṛcchra»; do mesmo modo, quando é praticado com flores, também se denomina «Puṣpa-kṛcchra».
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instructional sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Choosing specific food-substitutes (fruits, bilva, āmalaka, seeds, flowers) to perform named kṛcchra variants for expiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Phala-kṛcchra, Śrī-kṛcchra, and Puṣpa-kṛcchra (diet-based penances)","lookup_keywords":["phala-kṛcchra","śrī-kṛcchra","puṣpa-kṛcchra","bilva","āmalaka"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates diet-defined penances: month-long fruit subsistence (Phala-kṛcchra), bilva-based variant (Śrī-kṛcchra), and Puṣpa-kṛcchra using padmākṣa/āmalaka or flowers."}
Dosha: Pitta
Concept: Expiation can be tailored through symbolic and regulated consumption; purity is pursued via restraint and sattvic simplification.
Application: Selecting a vow-diet aligned with availability and ritual context (e.g., bilva/flowers in Śaiva settings), while maintaining the prescribed duration (one month).
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta (Expiatory rites) / Vrata-vidhi (Atonement-vows)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent with offerings of fruits: bilva, āmalaka, seeds (padmākṣa), and flowers arranged in separate bowls, indicating different named kṛcchra observances over a month.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized bowls of bilva leaves/fruits and āmalaka, garlands and flowers, penitent seated with palm-leaf manuscript naming Phala/Śrī/Puṣpa-kṛcchra, earthy palette and ornamental borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, richly decorated still-life of sacred fruits and flowers with gold highlights, central ascetic figure, bilva emphasized with Śaiva symbolism, ornate frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional composition with labeled bowls (phala, bilva, āmalaka, padmākṣa, puṣpa), fine lines and soft shading, manuscript in hand.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed botanical rendering of bilva and āmalaka on a carpet, penitent and attendant counting days of the month, delicate floral margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: फलैर् = फलैः; श्रीक्च्छ्र = श्री-कृच्छ्रः (orthographic assimilation); स्यादामलकैः = स्यात् आमलकैः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 171 (dietary kṛcchra variants)
FAQs
It classifies named variants of the Kṛcchra prāyaścitta by specifying the permitted single-item diet (fruits generally, bilva fruits, lotus-seeds/padmākṣa, āmalaka, or flowers) and the duration (one month for the fruit-based observance).
By cataloging fine-grained dharma-technical details—distinct expiations with precise dietary substitutions and standard names—it exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s compendium style, alongside its coverage of ritual, law, medicine, polity, and arts.
These regulated austerities function as prāyaścitta: disciplined, purity-oriented observances intended to reduce the karmic burden of faults and restore ritual and ethical fitness through controlled diet and restraint.