Agni Purana — Agneya-vidya, Shloka 10
Saṃskāra-kathana
Account of the Saṃskāras
दया च सर्वभूतेषु क्षान्तिश् चैव तथार्जवम् शौचं चैवमनायासो मङ्गलं चापरो गुणः
dayā ca sarvabhūteṣu kṣāntiś caiva tathārjavam śaucaṃ caivamanāyāso maṅgalaṃ cāparo guṇaḥ
दया च सर्वभूतेषु क्षान्तिश्चैव तथार्जवम्। शौचं चैवमनायासो मङ्गलं चापरो गुणः॥
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Personal ethics for daily conduct (sadācāra): cultivating compassion, patience, honesty, cleanliness, and balanced effort.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sadācāra-maṅgala-guṇāḥ (Auspicious virtues)","lookup_keywords":["dayā","kṣānti","ārjava","śauca","anāyāsa"],"quick_summary":"Gives a compact virtue-list for character formation: compassion, forbearance, straightforwardness, purity, and avoiding needless strain—treated as auspicious qualities."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Maṅgala arises from inner virtues (guṇa) expressed as non-harm, patience, honesty, purity, and measured effort.
Application: Adopt a daily checklist: one act of compassion, one act of patience, truthful speech, bodily/mental cleanliness, and pacing work to avoid burnout.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Sadācāra (Ethics and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm household/royal court scene showing virtues in action: a person offering help to the needy (dayā), enduring insult calmly (kṣānti), speaking plainly (ārjava), bathing/cleaning (śauca), and resting after measured work (anāyāsa).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sequential vignettes around a central seated dharma-figure, warm tones, expressive gestures of compassion and patience, clean water pot and bathing scene, serene faces","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central personification of Dharma with gold halo, surrounding panels depicting dayā/kṣānti/ārjava/śauca/anāyāsa, ornate borders and gold work","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic multi-panel composition with labels for each virtue, soft palette, clear narrative actions (helping, forgiving, truthful speech, cleansing, balanced labor)","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, refined domestic/court setting, subtle storytelling of virtues through gestures and small scenes, detailed textiles, restrained palette emphasizing calm"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्षान्तिश् चैव = क्षान्तिः + च + एव; तथार्जवम् = तथा + आर्जवम्; चैवमनायासः = च + एव + अनायासः; चापरः = च + अपरः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Rājadharma and sadācāra sections listing guṇas and doṣas; Agni Purana: dāna/vrata discussions where dayā and śauca recur
FAQs
It imparts sadācāra-vidyā (practical conduct): cultivate compassion to all beings, patience, sincerity, purity, and a balanced life free from needless strain—treated as auspicious character-qualities.
Alongside rituals and specialized sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also codifies everyday ethical standards (guṇas) that support governance, household life, and spiritual practice—showing its broad, handbook-like scope.
These guṇas purify intention and behavior, reduce harm (hiṃsā) and agitation, and thereby support punya (merit), social harmony, and steadiness for dharma and spiritual progress.