Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 55
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
मातुलानीं स्वसारञ्च सगोत्रामन्यमिच्छतीं शिष्यभार्यां गुरोर्भार्यां गत्वा चान्द्रायणञ्चरेत्
mātulānīṃ svasārañca sagotrāmanyamicchatīṃ śiṣyabhāryāṃ gurorbhāryāṃ gatvā cāndrāyaṇañcaret
Tendo tido relação sexual com a esposa do tio materno, com a própria irmã, com outra mulher do mesmo gotra, com a esposa do discípulo ou com a esposa do guru, deve-se cumprir a observância expiatória do Cāndrāyaṇa.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Specifies Cāndrāyaṇa as expiation for a set of prohibited sexual relations (close kin, same gotra, guru/disciple relations), used for dharma adjudication and personal corrective observance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cāndrāyaṇa prāyaścitta for gotra/ācārya-related sexual transgressions","lookup_keywords":["cāndrāyaṇa","sagotram","guru-bhāryā","śiṣya-bhāryā","mātulānī"],"quick_summary":"For intercourse with maternal uncle’s wife, one’s sister, a woman of the same gotra, a disciple’s wife, or the guru’s wife, the prescribed expiation is the Cāndrāyaṇa observance (lunar-regulated penance)."}
Concept: Ritual-moral repair is enacted through regulated vrata (Cāndrāyaṇa), aligning bodily discipline with cosmic rhythm (moon) to restore dharmic balance.
Application: Undertake Cāndrāyaṇa under competent guidance with strict dietary regulation and daily observances, as a formal method of expiation in Smārta practice.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prāyaścitta (Expiations for sexual transgressions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent performing Cāndrāyaṇa: moon phases indicated, measured food portions, daily sandhyā and japa, a calm austere setting with ritual implements and a lunar calendar motif.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, night-sky crescent-to-full moon band above, penitent seated with small measured meal, water pot, sacred thread, quiet shrine lamp, emphasis on austerity and lunar rhythm.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, stylized moon disc with gold work, penitent before a small altar, ornate but restrained, symbolic depiction of measured grains and a lunar tally, devotional austerity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic panel: sequence of moon phases and corresponding food measures, penitent in repeated poses, clean lines and soft colors, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate interior with a calendar scroll showing tithis, penitent measuring food, moonlight through a jali window, fine detail and quiet penitential mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्वसारञ्च = स्वसारम् + च; सगोत्रामन्यमिच्छतीं = सगोत्राम् + अन्याम् + इच्छतीम्; गुरोर्भार्यां = गुरोः + भार्याम्; चान्द्रायणञ्चरेत् = चान्द्रायणम् + चरेत् (च-आगमः).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (sexual transgression prāyaścitta gradations); Agni Purana 174 (japa counts and worship-lapse expiations as adjacent prāyaścitta logic)
FAQs
It prescribes the Cāndrāyaṇa vrata (a lunar-cycle penance with regulated intake and discipline) as the expiation for specific grave sexual transgressions involving prohibited women (same-gotra, close kin, guru/disciple relations).
Alongside ritual, theology, and other sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies Dharmaśāstra-style legal-ethical norms and penances, functioning as a practical handbook for conduct and purification.
The verse frames these acts as severe dharmic violations that generate heavy demerit; performing Cāndrāyaṇa is presented as a means of ritual purification and karmic remediation, restoring eligibility for religious life.