Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 7
Mantras for the Parasol and Other Royal/Worship Emblems (छत्रादिमन्त्रादयः)
यां गतिं ब्रह्महा गच्छेत् पितृहा मातृहा तथा भूम्यर्थे ऽनृतवादी च क्षत्रियश् च पराङ्मुखः
yāṃ gatiṃ brahmahā gacchet pitṛhā mātṛhā tathā bhūmyarthe 'nṛtavādī ca kṣatriyaś ca parāṅmukhaḥ
பிராமணனை கொன்றவன் அடையும் கதியைப் போலவே, தந்தையைக் கொன்றவனும் தாயைக் கொன்றவனும் அடைவர்; நிலத்திற்காக பொய் பேசுபவனும், போர்தர்மத்திலிருந்து விலகும் க்ஷத்திரியனும் அதையே அடைவர்.
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s dharma teachings to Vasiṣṭha in the standard frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Moral-legal warning: equating grave sins (brahmahatyā, patricide, matricide, land-motivated perjury, kṣatriya dereliction) with identical karmic downfall to deter misconduct and enforce duty.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Mahāpātaka-sāmyatā: brahmahatyā-ādi and kṣātra-parāṅmukhatā","lookup_keywords":["brahmahatyā","pitr̥hatyā","mātr̥hatyā","anṛta-bhūmyarthe","kṣatriya-parāṅmukha"],"quick_summary":"The verse groups multiple transgressions as leading to the same dire post-mortem fate, stressing that social role (kṣatriya duty) and truthfulness in property matters are as weighty as classical mahāpātakas."}
Alamkara Type: Yamaka (repetition of -hā) / Anuprasa
Concept: Karma-phala proportionality: certain acts and derelictions are classed as equivalently ruinous; truth and duty are non-negotiable pillars of dharma.
Application: Used in instruction to rulers/warriors and in expiatory contexts to prevent perjury, violence against elders, and cowardice.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Papas (Sins) and Naraka-gati (karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: Bhayānaka
Secondary Rasa: Raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A moral tableau: shadowy Naraka imagery in the background while figures representing the listed sins appear—killer of a brāhmaṇa, patricide, matricide, a perjurer over land boundaries, and a warrior turning away from battle—linked by a single path of downfall.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic dharma tableau with dark lower register as naraka, stylized sinners in distinct vignettes, boundary stones for land-dispute perjury, warrior facing away from battlefield, strong outlines and symbolic flames","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central Dharmic warning panel with gold-highlighted Yama motif or judgment symbolism, smaller narrative compartments for each sin, ornate borders, high-contrast moral iconography","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional moral chart style: labeled vignettes of each transgression, subdued palette, clear gestures (perjury oath, warrior retreat), emphasis on didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly and battlefield scenes juxtaposed with an underworld margin, fine detail on land documents/boundary markers, expressive faces showing fear and remorse"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भूम्यर्थे ऽनृतवादी = भूम्यर्थे + अनृतवादी; क्षत्रियश् च = क्षत्रियः + च
Related Themes: Agni Purana: pāpa-nirūpaṇa and naraka-gati sections; Agni Purana: rājadharma/kṣātra-dharma discussions
FAQs
It imparts dharma-vidyā: a gradation of mahāpāpas (grave sins) by equating certain acts—parent-slaying, land-motivated perjury, and a kṣatriya’s desertion of duty—with the karmic fate of brahmahatyā.
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purana includes normative ethics and governance (rājadharma). This verse functions like a dharma-śāstra rule: it classifies social-legal wrongs (property-related false testimony, dereliction of warrior duty) alongside religious crimes, showing the text’s wide legal-moral scope.
It warns that these actions generate severely negative karma leading to the same dire post-mortem destiny as brahmahatyā, emphasizing truthfulness, filial sanctity, and steadfast performance of svadharma.