Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 33
Chapter 370: नरकनिरूपणम्
Naraka-nirūpaṇa) — Description of Hell (with the physiology of dying and the subtle transition
यो येन संस्पृशत्येषां स तल्लिङ्गो ऽभिजायते अन्नहर्ता मायावी स्यान्मूको वागपहारकः
yo yena saṃspṛśatyeṣāṃ sa talliṅgo 'bhijāyate annahartā māyāvī syānmūko vāgapahārakaḥ
ఇవారిపై ఎవడు ఏ పాపం చేస్తాడో, అతడు దానికి తగిన లక్షణంతోనే జన్మిస్తాడు. అన్నహర్త మాయావి అవుతాడు; వాక్కును అపహరించినవాడు మూకుడవుతాడు.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as the Agni Purāṇa’s primary narrative frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Provides a general rule of karmic correspondence (yathā-karma tathā-liṅga) and specific examples (food theft, speech-robbing), useful for moral education and prāyaścitta counseling.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Principle of karmic correspondence (liṅga)","lookup_keywords":["liṅga","yathā-karma","annaharaṇa","māyāvī","mūka"],"quick_summary":"The verse states that rebirth bears the mark matching the harm done; it exemplifies this with food theft leading to deceitfulness and robbing speech leading to muteness."}
Concept: Karmic mirroring: the nature of harm determines the nature of future limitation or defect; ethical causality is specific, not random.
Application: Adopt non-exploitative livelihood; protect others’ nourishment and dignity; cultivate truthful, non-silencing speech in community life.
Khanda Section: Dharma–Karma-vipāka (Ethics of action and karmic consequences)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-like figure explains a karmic law; beside him, two vignettes: a food thief becoming a sly illusionist (māyāvī) and a person who silences/robs speech becoming mute (mūka).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central sage instructing with hand-gesture, side panels showing food theft and a trickster with illusion motifs, and a mute figure with sealed lips; bold outlines, narrative clarity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central dharma-preceptor with gold halo, two framed scenes with ornate borders: grain/food theft leading to a masked trickster, and speech-robbing leading to a mute figure; rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic didactic scene with labels, gentle colors, emphasis on facial expression (muteness) and gesture (deceit), clean composition.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly scene of confiscating food and silencing a speaker, followed by symbolic transformation portraits; fine detailing, architectural background, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: संस्पृशति + एषाम् → संस्पृशत्येषाम्; तद् + लिङ्गः → तल्लिङ्गः; लिङ्गः + अभिजायते → लिङ्गोऽभिजायते; स्यात् + मूकः → स्यान्मूकः; वाक् + अपहारकः → वागपहारकः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 370 (series of karmic fruits by category of theft/violence)
FAQs
It teaches karma-vipāka: specific unethical acts (food-theft and depriving others of speech) are said to yield corresponding rebirth traits—deceitfulness and muteness—serving as a practical ethical warning.
Beyond rituals and theology, the Agni Purāṇa catalogs moral causality (action-to-result mappings). This verse functions like a compact “moral jurisprudence” entry describing how particular harms manifest as observable consequences across rebirth.
It underscores that harm done to basic life-support (food) and to dharmic expression (speech) rebounds as a loss or distortion of one’s own capacities, reinforcing restraint, honesty, and non-injury in daily conduct.