Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 7
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
दिवानुगच्छेद्गाश् चैव तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वं रजः पिवेत् वृषभैकादशा गास्तु दद्याद्विचारितव्रतः
divānugacchedgāś caiva tiṣṭhannūrdhvaṃ rajaḥ pivet vṛṣabhaikādaśā gāstu dadyādvicāritavrataḥ
Соблюдая обет с должным рассуждением, он должен днём следовать за коровами; и, стоя, пить пыль, поднимающуюся вверх. Затем соблюдающий обет должен пожертвовать одиннадцать коров вместе с быком.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Prāyaścitta-vrata performance involving austerity (anugamana of cows, standing discipline) and prescribed dāna (eleven cows with a bull) as expiation/merit-making.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Vṛṣabhaikādaśā-go-dāna prāyaścitta (cow-following vow and donation)","lookup_keywords":["vṛṣabhaikādaśā","go-dāna","prāyaścitta","anugamana","rajaḥ-pāna"],"quick_summary":"The verse outlines an expiatory vow: follow cows by day and maintain a standing austerity, then complete the rite by gifting eleven cows along with a bull."}
Concept: Prāyaścitta through tapas (niyama) and dāna as social-ritual restitution and self-purification.
Application: Use structured vows and charitable restitution to repair transgression and re-align conduct with dharma.
Khanda Section: Vrata-dana-vidhi (Expiatory vows and ritual charity)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shraddha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vow-observer follows a herd of cows in daylight, standing in austerity as dust rises, then ceremonially donates eleven cows and a bull to learned brāhmaṇas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, earthy reds and greens, a vrata-observer in simple white cloth following cows at dawn, dust swirling upward, later a formal go-dāna scene with brāhmaṇas receiving eleven cows and a bull, sacred calm, stylized flora","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf highlights, central donor figure offering go-dāna, eleven cows arranged symmetrically with a bull, ornate halos on recipients, temple-like backdrop, rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional composition: left panel shows anugamana of cows by day, right panel shows donation ritual with counted cows and bull, captions implied, soft pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pastoral landscape with detailed cattle, a standing ascetic figure amid rising dust, then a courtly donation scene with scholars, meticulous textiles and animal rendering"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दिवानुगच्छेत् = दिवा + अनुगच्छेत्; गाश् = गाः; तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वम् = तिष्ठन् + ऊर्ध्वम्; गास्तु = गाः + तु; दद्याद्विचारितव्रतः = दद्यात् + विचारितव्रतः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vrata-dāna-vidhi sections on go-dāna and prāyaścitta scales; Agni Purana dāna-prakaraṇa (gift-taxonomy)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific expiatory-vow procedure: daytime attendance upon the herd, a symbolic act of drinking the dust raised (as an austerity), and concluding the observance with gau-dāna—donating eleven cows along with a bull.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical dharma topics—vows, expiations, and charity protocols—offering concrete, count-specific donation rules (like “eleven cows with a bull”) typical of its ritual-law compendium style.
The austerity (vrata) coupled with substantial charity (gau-dāna) functions as purification and merit-making, aiming to reduce karmic burden through disciplined conduct and giving.