Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 2
Chapter 168 — महापातकादिकथनम्
Exposition of Great Sins and Related Topics
जातवेदोमुखैः सौरैर् इति ख रिपुं हरेदिति ङ , ञ च मत्तक्रुद्धातुराणां च न भुञ्जीत कदाचन महापातकिनां स्पृष्टं यच्च स्पृष्टमुदक्यया
jātavedomukhaiḥ saurair iti kha ripuṃ harediti ṅa , ña ca mattakruddhāturāṇāṃ ca na bhuñjīta kadācana mahāpātakināṃ spṛṣṭaṃ yacca spṛṣṭamudakyayā
‘जातवेदोमुखैः सौरैः’ इति ख-वर्णः; ‘रिपुं हरेद्’ इति ङ-ञ-वर्णौ। मत्तक्रुद्धातुराणां चान्नं कदाचन न भुञ्जीत; महापातकिनां स्पृष्टं यच्चोदक्यया स्पृष्टं तदपि न भुञ्जीत।
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vyakarana","practical_application":"Rules of purity in eating (avoid food linked to intoxicated/angry/sick persons, great sinners, and menstruating contact) alongside a brief phonetic/letter-group (varṇa-gaṇa) note used for mantra/recitation indexing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Āhāra-śauca niṣedha and varṇa-gaṇa note (kha, ṅa, ña)","lookup_keywords":["ācāra","aśauca food","udakyā","mahāpātakin","varṇa-gaṇa kha ṅa ña"],"quick_summary":"Maintain ritual purity by avoiding food touched/associated with impure states (intoxication, anger, illness, great sin, menstruation); the verse also preserves a mnemonic note on letter-groups (kha; ṅa/ña) tied to mantra phrasing."}
Concept: Ācāra (conduct) safeguards both ritual order and social health; purity rules regulate contact, food, and states considered disruptive to sāttvika living.
Application: Household and ritual practice: enforce food-handling boundaries and personal discipline; use phonetic mnemonics to preserve correct recitation/teaching lineages.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Achara: purity rules, food prohibitions, ritual cleanliness)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household meal setting where a dharma-teacher instructs disciples on what food to avoid; separate vignettes show intoxicated/angry/sick persons near food, a ‘mahāpātakin’ marked as impure, and a menstruating woman (udakyā) indicating contact-based restriction; alongside, a palm-leaf showing letter-groups kha, ṅa, ña as mnemonic notes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, didactic domestic scene with teacher and students, food vessels, side panels showing intoxication/anger/illness and avoidance gestures, palm-leaf with kha ṅa ña, calm earthy tones","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central teacher with gold halo-like emphasis (not divine), ornate vessels with gold highlights, clear separation of ‘avoid’ scenes, palm-leaf inscription kha ṅa ña in stylized script","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional layout: three ‘do not eat’ vignettes (mattā, kruddha, ātura), plus udakyā and mahāpātakin contact, and a neat phonetic chart kha/ṅa/ña on palm-leaf; fine lines and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed kitchen/courtyard, teacher pointing to food rules, small inset scenes of intoxicated man, angry man, sick person, and a woman in seclusion signifying menstruation; calligraphic kha ṅa ña on a folio"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyan","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: जातवेदोमुखैः → जातवेदः + मुखैः; सौरैर् → सौरैः; हरेदिति → हरेत् + इति; यच्च → यत् + च; स्पृष्टमुदक्यया → स्पृष्टम् + उदक्यया.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 168 (ācāra/prāyaścitta and mahāpātaka discussions continuing)
FAQs
It gives āhāra-śauca (food-purity) prohibitions—do not eat food connected with intoxicated/angry/sick persons or food contaminated by contact with mahāpātakins or an udakyā—alongside a brief phonetic/mantric labeling (kha, ṅa, ña) used in varṇa/mātṛkā-style recitation schemes.
The verse juxtaposes two domains: (1) technical phonetic/mantra classification (letter-group labels like kha/ṅa/ña) and (2) dharma-śāstric conduct about food contamination, showing how the Agni Purana compiles ritual, linguistic, and legal-ethical guidance in one continuum.
Avoiding ritually contaminated food is presented as preventing the transfer or accrual of impurity (aśauca/doṣa) and sin (pāpa), safeguarding one’s ritual fitness, merit (puṇya), and spiritual discipline.