Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 4
Saṃskāra-kathana
Account of the Saṃskāras
गोदानं सूतकत्वञ्च पाकयज्ञाश् च सप्त ते अष्टका पार्वणश्राद्धं श्रावण्यग्रायणीति च
godānaṃ sūtakatvañca pākayajñāś ca sapta te aṣṭakā pārvaṇaśrāddhaṃ śrāvaṇyagrāyaṇīti ca
Здесь следует понимать: дар коровы (godāna), состояние родовой нечистоты (sūtaka), и семь pākayajña — домашних жертвоприношений; а также обряд Aṣṭakā, поминальное приношение предкам Pārvaṇa-śrāddha и обряды Śrāvaṇī и Agrāyaṇī.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Householder reference list for gifts, impurity rules, domestic yajñas, and śrāddha/seasonal rites—useful for planning annual and life-cycle obligations.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Godāna, sūtaka, pākayajñas, and śrāddha/seasonal rites","lookup_keywords":["godāna","sūtaka","pākayajña","aṣṭakā","pārvaṇa-śrāddha"],"quick_summary":"The verse enumerates key dharmic observances: cow-gift, birth-impurity, seven domestic pākayajñas, and specific śrāddha/seasonal rites. It functions as a compact index of gṛhya duties."}
Concept: Gṛhastha-dharma is sustained by dāna, śauca/āśauca regulation, daily/periodic yajña, and pitṛ-tarpaṇa through śrāddha.
Application: Maintain a household ritual ledger: track impurity periods (sūtaka), schedule pākayajñas and śrāddhas, and perform godāna according to capacity and rule.
Khanda Section: Śrāddha & Saṃskāra-vidhi (Dharma / Gṛhya-karma)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household priest guiding rites: gifting a cow to a brāhmaṇa, marking a sūtaka period in the home, performing pākayajña at a small fire, and offering piṇḍa/tarpaṇa in a pārvaṇa-śrāddha setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural narrative strip: cow-gift scene, household in temporary impurity with subdued colors, pākayajña with agni and ladle, śrāddha with piṇḍas near a riverbank; traditional ornamentation and lamps.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central godāna with gold detailing on cow ornaments; side vignettes of śrāddha offerings with brass vessels and banana leaves, rich temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style instructional plate: labeled ritual implements (kalaśa, darbha, piṇḍa, ājya), neat domestic altar, priest seated; small calendar icons for Aṣṭakā, Śrāvaṇī, Agrāyaṇī.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtyard with cow being gifted, meticulous textiles; separate vignette by a river for śrāddha, attendants holding vessels, fine calligraphic labels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सूतकत्वञ्च = सूतकत्वम् + च; पाकयज्ञाश् च = पाकयज्ञाः + च (visarga/ś-sandhi in transmission); श्रावण्यग्रायणीति = श्रावण्यग्रायणी + इति.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Śrāddha-vidhi and gṛhya-karma discussions adjacent to this list
FAQs
It enumerates key domestic dharma-rites: godāna (cow-gift), sūtaka (birth-impurity framework), the seven pākayajñas, and specific ancestral/seasonal observances like Aṣṭakā and Pārvaṇa-śrāddha.
By cataloging household sacrificial categories and śrāddha-types, it functions like a dharma index—showing the text’s coverage beyond mythology into practical gṛhya ritual law and calendrical observances.
These rites are traditionally linked to purification (removing sūtaka-related impurity), sustaining ancestral satisfaction through śrāddha, and accruing merit via prescribed gifts (especially godāna) and seasonal offerings.