Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 32
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
मणिमुक्ताप्रवालानां ताम्रस्य रजतस्य च अयःकांस्योपलानाञ्च द्वादशाहं कणान्नभुक्
maṇimuktāpravālānāṃ tāmrasya rajatasya ca ayaḥkāṃsyopalānāñca dvādaśāhaṃ kaṇānnabhuk
За нечистоту, возникающую от употребления драгоценных камней, жемчуга, коралла, меди и серебра, а также железа, колокольной бронзы (kāṃsya) и камней, следует совершать покаяние в течение двенадцати дней, питаясь лишь kaṇānna (простою зерновою пищей).
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, the standard Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Dietary expiation (prāyaścitta) for impurity incurred by ingesting prohibited/impure substances; prescribes duration and austerity-food.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Dvādaśāha-prāyaścitta for consuming metals, gems, and stones (kaṇānna-bhojana)","lookup_keywords":["dvādaśāha","kaṇānna","aśauca","loha-tāmra-rajata","maṇi-muktā-pravāla"],"quick_summary":"For impurity from consuming gems/metals/stones, observe a 12-day penance sustained on kaṇānna (plain grains). The entry fixes both duration and the simplifying diet."}
Concept: Śuddhi through regulated austerity and controlled diet after transgressive consumption.
Application: Adopt time-bound fasting/limited diet as a corrective discipline to restore ritual purity.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta (Atonements and Purificatory Observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An ascetic householder observing a twelve-day penance, seated on a simple mat, eating a small bowl of plain grains; nearby are symbolic items—gem, pearl, coral, copper, silver, iron, bell-metal, and stones—kept aside as the cause of impurity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and ochres, a penitent in white cloth seated in a simple hut, small bowl of kaṇānna, arranged symbols of maṇi, muktā, pravāla, tāmra, rajata, ayas, kāṃsya, upala; calm śānta mood, flat decorative foliage border.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central penitent with serene face, gold-leaf halo-like arch motif, ornate but restrained setting; foreground bowl of grains; small gilded icons of gem/pearl/coral/metals/stones placed to the side; rich reds and greens, devotional austerity theme.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional composition: labeled objects (gem, pearl, coral, copper, silver, iron, bell-metal, stones) and a 12-day tally; penitent eating kaṇānna; soft pastel palette, minimal background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly yet didactic scene: a scholar-priest advising a householder; the penitent eats plain grains; meticulous rendering of minerals/metals on a tray; architectural niche background, delicate textiles, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मणिमुक्ताप्रवालानाम् = मणि-मुक्ता-प्रवालानाम् (द्वन्द्व); अयःकांस्योपलानाञ्च = अयः-कांस्य-उपलानाम् + च; द्वादशाहं = द्वादश + अहम्(=अहम् न, अहम् इति न) → द्वादश + अहम्? here aham = ahan (अहन्) accusative singular ‘अहम्’ orthography in text; कणान्नभुक् = कण-अन्न-भुक्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Prāyaścitta-khaṇḍa: sections on kṛcchra, cāndrāyaṇa, śāntapana, and food-based expiations
FAQs
It prescribes a specific prāyaścitta: a twelve-day observance sustained on kaṇānna (plain grain-food) as expiation for the impurity associated with consuming/ingesting certain valuables and metals (gems, pearls, coral, copper, silver, iron, bell-metal) and stones.
It exemplifies the Agni Purāṇa’s dharma-practical cataloging of real-world contingencies—dietary/accidental ingestion and ritual impurity—alongside its many other domains (ritual, law, polity, medicine, arts), thus functioning as a compendium of applied religious regulation.
The twelve-day regulated diet serves as a purificatory discipline (tapas) intended to neutralize the karmic and ritual taint (aśauca/doṣa) arising from improper consumption, restoring eligibility for rites and personal purity.