Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Purification Concerning the Unsanctified
Asaṃskṛta) and Related Cases (असंस्कृतादिशौचम्
तेषामपि तथा गाङ्गे तोये ऽस्थ्नां पतनं हितं तेषां दत्तं जलं चान्नं गगने तत् प्रलीयते
teṣāmapi tathā gāṅge toye 'sthnāṃ patanaṃ hitaṃ teṣāṃ dattaṃ jalaṃ cānnaṃ gagane tat pralīyate
तेषामपि तथा गाङ्गे तोयेऽस्थ्नां पतनं हितम्; तेषां दत्तं जलं चान्नं गगने तत् प्रलीयते।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Prescribes efficacy conditions for śrāddha-related acts for otherwise excluded persons: even for them, Gaṅgā bone-immersion is beneficial; without such proper channel, offerings of water/food become fruitless.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Efficacy condition: Gaṅgā asthi immersion and fruitfulness of tarpana/anna offerings","lookup_keywords":["asthi-patana","Gaṅgā-toya","tarpana","anna-dāna","niṣphala"],"quick_summary":"Even for those otherwise problematic cases, casting bones into Gaṅgā is stated to help; offerings of water and food, if not properly directed/ritually grounded, are said to dissipate and fail to reach the intended recipients."}
Concept: Ritual acts require proper locus and method (deśa-kāla-vidhi) to yield fruit; tīrtha functions as a conduit for unseen recipients (preta/pitṛ).
Application: Perform asthi-visarjana in Gaṅgā (or authorized tīrtha) and conduct tarpana/śrāddha with correct procedure and intention so offerings are considered ‘received’ rather than wasted.
Khanda Section: Shraddha-vidhi / Pitri-tarpana (Rites for ancestors; funerary and ancestral offerings)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Relatives immerse bones in the Gaṅgā; priests perform tarpana with water and offer piṇḍa/food; a symbolic depiction shows offerings ‘dissipating into the sky’ when not properly performed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Gaṅgā riverside with priest doing tarpana (water libation) and family holding bone-urn, stylized waves; above, faint skyward dispersal of offerings as translucent forms to show fruitlessness when misdirected, solemn devotional tone","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-embellished Gaṅgā tīrtha scene: priest with darbha grass, water pot, offerings arranged; luminous river; small upper vignette of offerings dissolving into sky to indicate niṣphala, ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, step-by-step ritual depiction: asthi immersion, then tarpana, then anna offering; final panel shows ‘gagane praliyate’ as a didactic symbol, clean composition and fine detailing","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed riverside ceremony with attendants, vessels, offerings; subtle allegorical cloud where offerings vanish upward, refined naturalistic riverbank and architecture, delicate border florals"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तोयेऽस्थ्नाम् = तोये + अस्थ्नाम् (अवग्रह); चान्नम् = च + अन्नम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana 159.1 (Gaṅgā asthi-kṣepa for preta-abhyudaya); Agni Purana 159.2 (duration/eligibility discussions)
FAQs
It prescribes asthi-visarjana (immersion of bones) in the Gaṅgā and indicates that tarpana (water libations) and anna-dāna/śrāddha offerings are effectively received when performed with proper rite and sacred context.
Alongside theology, the Agni Purana records practical dharma procedures—here, funerary and ancestral protocols (śrāddha, tarpana, asthi-visarjana)—showing it as a compendium of ritual law and applied religious practice.
It asserts that immersing the remains in the Gaṅgā is spiritually beneficial for the departed, and that offerings made without the proper sacred procedure may become ineffective—symbolically “dissolving into the sky” rather than reaching the Pitṛs.