Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 3
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
अहिंसा सत्यवचनन्दया भूतेष्वनुग्रहः तीर्थानुसरणं दानं ब्रह्मचर्यम्मत्सरः
ahiṃsā satyavacanandayā bhūteṣvanugrahaḥ tīrthānusaraṇaṃ dānaṃ brahmacaryammatsaraḥ
அஹிம்சை, சத்தியவாக்கு, கருணை, உயிர்களிடத்தில் அருள், தீர்த்தத் தலங்களை நாடுதல், தானம், பிரம்மச்சரியம், பொறாமையின்மை—இவையே தர்மத்தின் இலக்கணங்கள்।
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Provides a practical checklist of universal virtues (sāmānya-dharma) for personal ethics, community harmony, and spiritual progress.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Sāmānya-dharma: Ahiṃsā–Satya–Dayā–Dāna–Brahmacarya–Amātsarya","lookup_keywords":["ahiṃsā","satya","dayā","dāna","brahmacarya"],"quick_summary":"A compact list of core ethical disciplines: non-violence, truth, compassion, benevolence, tīrtha-sevana, charity, celibate restraint, and freedom from envy—usable as daily self-audit."}
Concept: Inner purification through universal virtues; external acts (tīrtha, dāna) are grounded in inner dispositions (ahiṃsā, dayā, amātsarya).
Application: Maintain a weekly discipline: (1) avoid harm in speech/action, (2) truthfulness, (3) one concrete act of charity, (4) cultivate non-envy via gratitude practice, (5) periodic tīrtha/temple visit with vows of restraint.
Khanda Section: Dharma-śāstra / Ācāra-dharma (Ethics and Conduct)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An allegorical tableau of virtues: a compassionate sage protecting animals (ahiṃsā), speaking truth, giving alms, practicing celibate restraint, and walking toward a tīrtha; envy depicted as a subdued shadow.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural allegory, central sage with calm face, animals unharmed at his feet, hand raised in blessing; pilgrims’ path to a river-ghāṭa tīrtha; symbolic figures of Dayā and Dāna; bold outlines, flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, virtue tableau with gold highlights: sage offering dāna to a supplicant, small river-tīrtha shrine, serene aura; embossed gold ornaments and halos for personified virtues.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic panel with labeled virtues in Sanskrit, sage demonstrating each (truthful speech, charity, restraint); soft shading, fine detailing, minimal gold.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative sequence in one frame: almsgiving scene, peaceful animals, pilgrims at a riverbank; delicate flora, architectural details, calligraphic labels for ahiṃsā/satya/dayā."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: satyavacanandayā → satya-vacanam dayā; bhūteṣv anugrahaḥ → bhūteṣu anugrahaḥ; brahmacaryammatsaraḥ → brahmacaryam amatsaraḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 151 (varṇetara-dharma section)
FAQs
It teaches āchāra-dharma: the practical ethical disciplines—non-violence, truthful speech, compassion, charity, brahmacarya, non-envy—and the observance of tīrtha practices as a purifying religious discipline.
Alongside ritual, cosmology, and other sciences, the Agni Purana also codifies normative ethics; this verse functions like a dharma-śāstra digest by listing core virtues that govern personal conduct and religious practice (e.g., dāna and tīrtha).
These virtues are presented as merit-producing restraints and observances that purify karma—reducing harm and ego-driven jealousy while increasing truthfulness, compassion, and generosity, thereby supporting spiritual progress.