Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 13
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
श्वशृगालखरैर् दष्टो ग्राम्यैः क्रव्याद्भिरेव च नरोष्ट्राश्वैर् वराहैश् च प्राणायामेन शुद्ध्यति
śvaśṛgālakharair daṣṭo grāmyaiḥ kravyādbhireva ca naroṣṭrāśvair varāhaiś ca prāṇāyāmena śuddhyati
ผู้ถูกกัดโดยสุนัข สุนัขจิ้งจอก/หมาไน ลา ทั้งสัตว์เลี้ยงและสัตว์กินเนื้อ ตลอดจนถูกกัดโดยมนุษย์ อูฐ ม้า และหมูป่า ย่อมบริสุทธิ์ได้ด้วยการปฏิบัติปราณายามะ (prāṇāyāma) คือการกำกับลมหายใจ।
Lord Agni (narrating purificatory rules within the Agni Purana’s instructional discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Provides a purification/śuddhi measure after animal/human bites and contact with impure creatures: prāṇāyāma as a remedial rite for restoring ritual purity and mental steadiness.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Prāṇāyāma Śuddhi for Bites by Animals and Impure Creatures","lookup_keywords":["daṣṭa","śva","śṛgāla","kravyāda","prāṇāyāma"],"quick_summary":"After being bitten by various animals (including those deemed impure), purification is achieved through disciplined prāṇāyāma."}
Concept: Breath-discipline (prāṇāyāma) functions as inner purification, restoring composure and ritual fitness after disturbing contact.
Application: Use regulated breathing to stabilize mind and re-enter daily rites after shocks/impure contact; integrate with hygiene and medical prudence.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda / Chikitsa (Purification and remedial rites for bites and contamination)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A man with a bandaged bite wound sits in a clean spot performing prāṇāyāma—straight spine, controlled breath—while nearby are depicted the animals listed (dog, jackal, donkey, camel, horse, boar) as symbolic causes of impurity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, central yogic figure in prāṇāyāma, surrounding ring of animals in stylized forms, temple-pond nearby for cleansing, earthy reds/ochres, serene purification aura","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, seated practitioner with gold aura, animals rendered as small vignettes around, ornate border, emphasis on sacred purification through breath","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional posture depiction (āsana, hand position), minimal background, labeled animals in margins, soft pastel palette, clear didactic focus","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, realistic animals at a respectful distance, man seated on a mat in a garden courtyard, fine textile detail, subtle depiction of breath as faint flowing lines"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shuddha Sarang","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: śvaśṛgālakharair → śva-śṛgāla-kharaiḥ; kravyādbhireva → kravyādbhiḥ + eva; naroṣṭrāśvair → nara-uṣṭra-aśvaiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 170 (śuddhi for contacts, impurities, and remedial acts)
FAQs
It prescribes prāṇāyāma as a prāyaścitta/śuddhi measure for regaining purity after being bitten by various animals (and even certain human/animal contacts), indicating a yogic-ritual method rather than a pharmacological remedy.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical norms—public hygiene, contamination, and expiations—integrating yoga (prāṇāyāma) into applied rules for everyday contingencies like bites from domestic or carrion-eating animals.
Prāṇāyāma is presented as a purifier that removes the impurity (aśauca/doṣa) incurred from such contact, restoring eligibility for ritual acts and reinforcing disciplined self-regulation as a means of expiation.