Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 34
Śāva-āśauca and Sūtikā-śauca: Death/Childbirth Impurity, Preta-śuddhi, and Śrāddha Procedure
Chapter 157
मैथुने कटधूमे च सद्यः स्नानं विधीयते द्विजं न निर्हरेत् प्रेतं शूद्रेण तु कथञ्चन
maithune kaṭadhūme ca sadyaḥ snānaṃ vidhīyate dvijaṃ na nirharet pretaṃ śūdreṇa tu kathañcana
หลังการร่วมเพศ และหลังสัมผัสควันจากเชิงตะกอนเผาศพ พึงอาบน้ำโดยทันทีเป็นข้อบัญญัติ ส่วนศูทรไม่พึงยกหรือเคลื่อนย้ายเปรต (ศพ) ของทวิชะไม่ว่าในกรณีใด
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Observe immediate bathing after intercourse and after contact with cremation smoke; follow varṇa-based restrictions in handling dvija corpses to maintain ritual order and purity norms.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sadyas-snāna after maithuna and śmaśāna smoke; restriction on Śūdra handling dvija preta","lookup_keywords":["maithuna","sadyah-snana","katadhuma","preta","dvija"],"quick_summary":"Immediate bath is prescribed after sexual intercourse and after exposure to cremation smoke; additionally, a Śūdra is prohibited from carrying/handling the corpse of a twice-born."}
Concept: Śauca is restored through prompt cleansing after specific contacts; social-ritual roles are regulated to preserve prescribed order in antyeṣṭi contexts.
Application: After maithuna or cremation-ground exposure, bathe before japa, pūjā, cooking for rites, or temple entry; assign corpse-handling roles according to the text’s injunctions.
Khanda Section: Dharma-śāstra & Śauca-vidhi (Purification and ritual conduct)
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two-part instructional scene: (1) a couple’s chamber implied discreetly, followed by a man taking immediate bath; (2) a cremation ground with rising pyre smoke, a person bathing afterward; a separate vignette shows dvija funeral handled by appropriate bearers while a Śūdra stands aside per injunction.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split panels—left shows discreet domestic setting and snāna at a pond; right shows śmaśāna with stylized smoke and a bathing ghāṭa; figures in traditional attire, didactic temple-wall narrative.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central bathing figure with gold-highlighted water pot; background medallion of cremation pyre smoke; ornate borders; symbolic, non-explicit domestic reference for maithuna followed by purification.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: step-by-step purity instruction—‘sadyah snāna’ emphasized; cremation smoke exposure and immediate bath; clear role depiction for corpse handling with labeled participants.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: refined domestic interior leading to courtyard bath; separate cremation-ground vignette with smoke and attendants; careful, non-graphic rendering; emphasis on social roles and ritual sequence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major sandhi beyond standard euphony; verse contains locatives maithune, kaṭadhūme indicating conditions; prohibition: na nirharet ... śūdreṇa ... kathañcana.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: śauca rules for bodily acts and death-contact in the dharma chapters; Agni Purana: antyeṣṭi procedure sections specifying who performs which tasks
FAQs
It gives śauca-vidhi: immediate bathing is mandated after maithuna (intercourse) and after contact with kaṭa-dhūma (cremation/pyre smoke), and it regulates who may handle a dvija’s corpse.
It preserves practical dharma-śāstra style rules—purification timings and funerary role-restrictions—showing the text’s coverage beyond mythology into ritual law and social-religious procedure.
The immediate bath functions as a purification act to restore ritual fitness after impurity-contact, while the restriction on handling the dvija-preta reflects prescribed boundaries intended to protect rite-correctness and avoid doṣa (ritual fault).