Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 30
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
भक्षभोज्यापहरणे यानशय्यासनस्य च पुष्पमूलफलानाञ्च पञ्चगव्यं विशोधनं
bhakṣabhojyāpaharaṇe yānaśayyāsanasya ca puṣpamūlaphalānāñca pañcagavyaṃ viśodhanaṃ
За присвоение (кражу) съестного и приготовленной пищи, а также повозки/средства передвижения, ложа или сиденья, равно как цветов, кореньев и плодов, очищение совершается посредством панчагавьи (pañcagavya).
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma/prāyaścitta rules to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Using pañcagavya as a purification medium for specific categories of appropriation/theft (foods, conveyance, bed/seat, flowers/roots/fruits), indicating a standard śuddhi-dravya and its scope.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Pañcagavya as viśodhana for specified thefts/appropriations","lookup_keywords":["pañcagavya","viśodhana","bhakṣya-bhojya apaharaṇa","yāna-śayyā-āsana","puṣpa-mūla-phala"],"quick_summary":"For taking certain consumables and household/transport items, purification is prescribed through pañcagavya—an established purificatory mixture used in dharma-śuddhi contexts."}
Concept: Śuddhi can be mediated through sanctioned substances; material transgressions are met with material-ritual purification.
Application: Follow a recognized śuddhi protocol (here pañcagavya) to mark ethical reset and recommitment to non-appropriation.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śuddhi-vidhi (Purification and Expiation Rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual purification setup: a small vessel containing pañcagavya, a penitent receiving it under a priest’s supervision; symbolic items—food, cart, bed, seat, flowers, roots, fruits—arranged to show the covered categories.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, priest with kamaṇḍalu and bowl of pañcagavya; stylized cow motif in background; arranged offerings (fruits, flowers) and household items; earthy tones, ritual clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold-leaf accents on ritual vessels; cow emblem; neatly arranged items (seat, bed symbol, cart wheel); central act of purification with ornate framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional still-life composition of items plus pañcagavya vessel; priest demonstrating; fine detailing suitable for procedural depiction.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, intimate indoor scene with scholar-priest and penitent; detailed metal vessel, fruits and flowers; architectural niche and patterned carpet."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Saveri","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भक्षभोज्यापहरणे → भक्ष + भोज्य + अपहरणे; यानशय्यासनस्य → यान + शय्या + आसनस्य; पुष्पमूलफलानाञ्च → पुष्पमूलफलानाम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 169 (śuddhi-vidhi and prāyaścitta substances)
FAQs
It prescribes pañcagavya as the purificatory remedy when one has wrongfully taken certain everyday items—foods, conveyances, bedding/seating, and natural produce like flowers, roots, and fruits.
It shows the text’s dharma-prāyaścitta layer: alongside cosmology and worship, the Agni Purana also catalogs practical legal-ritual procedures for restoring purity after specific social transgressions such as appropriation/theft.
The instruction frames wrongdoing as producing impurity (aśauca/pāpa) and teaches a concrete śuddhi rite—pañcagavya—to ritually neutralize the taint and re-establish dharmic standing.