Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
सर्वस्वं वा वेदविदे ब्राह्मणायोपपादयेत् व्रतैर् एतैर् व्यपोहन्ति महापातकिनो मलं
sarvasvaṃ vā vedavide brāhmaṇāyopapādayet vratair etair vyapohanti mahāpātakino malaṃ
లేదా తన సమస్త సంపదను వేదవిద్ బ్రాహ్మణునికి సమర్పించాలి. ఈ వ్రతాల ద్వారా మహాపాతకులు సైతం తమ మలినతను తొలగించుకుంటారు।
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Teaches dāna (total wealth-gift) to a Veda-knower as an expiation mechanism; frames vows as moral-ritual technologies for removing mahāpātaka impurity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sarvasva-dāna to Veda-vid Brāhmaṇa as Prāyaścitta","lookup_keywords":["sarvasva-dāna","vedavid","brāhmaṇa","mahāpātaka","vrata"],"quick_summary":"Total relinquishment of wealth to a qualified Veda-knower is presented as a potent expiation; vows and disciplined observances are said to cleanse even great-sin defilement."}
Concept: Dāna and vrata as instruments of inner and social purification; wealth-renunciation counters moral stain.
Application: Directs offenders toward reparative giving and disciplined vows, emphasizing qualified recipients and transformative relinquishment.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Dharma-vidhi (Atonements, vows, and expiation for sins)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent householder offers all possessions—coins, grain, garments—to a serene Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa seated on a kusa mat; the mood is quiet renunciation and moral repair.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, frontal figures: donor with folded hands presenting heaps of goods, vedavid brāhmaṇa with palm-leaf Veda bundle, simple ritual setting with lamp and kusa mat, warm earthy palette and ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, donor offering treasure and cloth with gold embossing on vessels and ornaments, brāhmaṇa with halo-like gold, rich reds and greens, temple-like interior framing the act of dāna","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework showing categorized gifts (grain, cattle token, coins), calm expressions, emphasis on ethical instruction, soft pastel palette and delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard with textiles and containers, donor presenting wealth to scholar-priest, fine architectural backdrop, nuanced gestures and facial expressions conveying humility"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: brāhmaṇāya + upapādayet → brāhmaṇāyopapādayet; vratair + etaiḥ → vratairetaiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-vidhi passages; Agni Purana: mahāpātaka and prāyaścitta lists
FAQs
It prescribes prāyaścitta through dāna (formal gifting), specifically giving one’s entire wealth to a Veda-knowing Brāhmaṇa, alongside prescribed vratas as a means of purification.
It exemplifies the text’s dharma and legal-ritual coverage by detailing expiatory mechanisms (vrata and dāna) for grave moral violations, complementing its wide-ranging subjects beyond mythology.
The verse frames generosity and disciplined vows as purifiers that erase the karmic ‘stain’ (mala) even of mahāpātakas, emphasizing transformation through renunciation, restitution, and dharmic observance.