Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 14
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
गोष्ठे शयो गो ऽनुगामी गोप्रदानेन शुद्ध्यति कृच्छ्रञ्चैवातिकृच्छ्रं वा पादह्रासो नृपादिषु
goṣṭhe śayo go 'nugāmī gopradānena śuddhyati kṛcchrañcaivātikṛcchraṃ vā pādahrāso nṛpādiṣu
Тот, кто спит в коровнике или следует за коровой (вмешиваясь, докучая ей), очищается дарением коровы. Но в делах, касающихся царя и ему подобных, предписывается кṛччхра или атикṛччхра, и (к тому же) происходит утрата положения/статуса (пада-храса).
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Specifies expiation for cow-related transgressions (sleeping in cowshed/following or troubling a cow) via gifting a cow; for offenses involving the king, prescribes kṛcchra/atikṛcchra plus status-loss (pāda-hrāsa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Cow-related expiation by go-dāna; royal offenses with kṛcchra/atikṛcchra and pāda-hrāsa","lookup_keywords":["goṣṭha-śayana","go-anugāmī","go-dāna","kṛcchra","pāda-hrāsa"],"quick_summary":"Certain cow-related faults are purified by gifting a cow; offenses connected with the king entail severe penance (kṛcchra/atikṛcchra) and reduction of rank/standing."}
Concept: Restitution (dāna) and austerity (kṛcchra) as complementary tools of purification; heightened gravity for offenses against sovereignty.
Application: Use compensatory giving for certain harms; treat breaches of royal order as requiring both penance and institutional consequences.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Prayashchitta (Atonements and Purificatory Penances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cowshed scene with a person sleeping on straw and then performing go-dāna; a parallel vignette shows a royal court where an offender undergoes austere kṛcchra and is stripped of insignia (pāda-hrāsa).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural split-panel: left cowshed with cow and penitent, right royal sabhā with king and attendant removing a sash/insignia, bold outlines, narrative registers.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central cow-dāna with gold embellishment on cow ornaments, secondary court vignette with gilded throne, emphasis on ritual gifting and authority symbols.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, procedural clarity: depiction of go-dāna steps and kṛcchra austerity (measured food), plus visual cue of rank reduction, fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature diptych: rustic cowshed with detailed animals; court scene with officials recording penalty and removing rank insignia, intricate architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: go 'nugāmī = go + anugāmī (avagraha). kṛcchrañcaiva = kṛcchram + ca + eva (m + c → ñc).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (kṛcchra/atikṛcchra definitions likely nearby); Agni Purana rājadharma passages on daṇḍa and rank
FAQs
It specifies prāyaścitta procedures: certain improprieties involving cows are expiated through go-dāna (cow-gift), while offences connected with royal/public authority require heavier austerities like Kṛcchra or Atikṛcchra, sometimes with a penalty affecting one’s status.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves dharmaśāstra-like material—mapping concrete social acts to graded penances, donations, and civic/royal consequences—showing its wide coverage of law, ethics, and governance.
It teaches that karmic defilement can be countered by disciplined austerity (vrata/penance) and restorative charity (go-dāna), and that harms connected to public authority carry heavier moral weight and thus stricter expiation and social consequence.