Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 14
Purification Concerning the Unsanctified
Asaṃskṛta) and Related Cases (असंस्कृतादिशौचम्
कौमारादि यथा देहे तथा देहान्तरागमः नवमन्यद्यथा वस्त्रं गृह्णात्येवं शरीरिकं
kaumārādi yathā dehe tathā dehāntarāgamaḥ navamanyadyathā vastraṃ gṛhṇātyevaṃ śarīrikaṃ
ดุจเดียวกับที่ในกายเดียวกันนี้ย่อมผ่านวัยเด็กและขั้นต่าง ๆ ไป ฉันนั้นก็มีการไปสู่กายอื่น; และดุจคนสวมอาภรณ์ใหม่ที่ต่างไป ฉันนั้นสัตว์ผู้มีร่างกายย่อมรับกายอื่น
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the standard Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Philosophy","secondary_vidya":"Avatara-Katha","practical_application":"Grief-management and ethical steadiness by contemplating transmigration (saṃsāra) and the continuity of the Self beyond bodily change.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dehāntara-gamana (Transmigration) and Vastra-dṛṣṭānta (Garment Analogy)","lookup_keywords":["dehantara","punarjanma","vastra-drstanta","dehi","saṃsāra"],"quick_summary":"The embodied being passes into another body as naturally as it passes through childhood to old age; the body is like a garment that is exchanged, while the Self continues."}
Alamkara Type: Dṛṣṭānta (illustrative analogy)
Concept: The Self (dehī/ātman) persists while bodies change; rebirth is an extension of the same principle seen within one lifetime.
Application: Use the garment-analogy to cultivate non-attachment to bodily identity and to face loss and mortality with equanimity.
Khanda Section: Atma-jnana & Moksha-dharma (Teachings on the self, transmigration, and liberation)
Primary Rasa: Śānta
Secondary Rasa: Vairāgya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calm sage instructs a listener: a human figure shown in three life-stages (child, youth, elder) dissolving into a departing subtle form that takes up a new body; beside them, old clothes being set aside and new garments being donned.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, ochre-red background, a serene rishi teaching adhyātma; three-panel life-stages and a floating jīva-spark moving to a new body; symbolic garments at the side; bold outlines, flat colors.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold leaf halo around the teaching sage; ornate frame; symbolic old and new garments rendered with gold highlights; the jīva as a luminous flame moving between bodies; devotional calm.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework; instructional composition with labeled life-stages and garment exchange; soft pastel palette; emphasis on clarity and didactic sequencing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly interior with a philosopher-sage and disciple; detailed textiles showing garment exchange; subtle depiction of transmigration as a translucent figure moving to another body; fine brushwork and naturalistic faces."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देहान्तरागमः = देह + अन्तर + आगमः (तत्पुरुष). नवमन्यद्यथा = नवम् + अन्यत् + यथा. गृह्णात्येवं = गृह्णाति + एवम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 159 (Ātma-jñāna/Mokṣa-dharma context); Agni Purana 160 (transition into āśrama-dharma: applying detachment in life-stages)
FAQs
It imparts ātma-vidyā (knowledge of the embodied self): the doctrine that the jīva transitions between life-stages and, by the same principle, takes another body—illustrated through the garment metaphor.
Alongside ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also preserves core philosophical instruction on karma and rebirth; this verse is a compact doctrinal statement supporting its wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.
It reinforces detachment from the body and life-stages, encouraging ethical action (karma) and spiritual pursuit by viewing embodiment as temporary—like changing clothes—thereby orienting the reader toward liberation.