Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 32
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
मूत्रोच्चार्यशुचिर्भुक्त्वा त्रिरात्रेण विशुद्ध्यति केशकीटावपन्नं च पादस्पृष्टञ्च कामतः
mūtroccāryaśucirbhuktvā trirātreṇa viśuddhyati keśakīṭāvapannaṃ ca pādaspṛṣṭañca kāmataḥ
ผู้ใดปัสสาวะแล้วกินโดยมิได้ชำระตน ย่อมบริสุทธิ์ได้ภายในสามคืน เช่นเดียวกัน อาหารที่ปนเปื้อนด้วยเส้นผมหรือแมลง และอาหารที่ถูกเท้าแตะโดยเจตนา ย่อมเป็นของมีมลทิน.
Lord Agni (teaching to Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dharma/purity instructions)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Determining the duration of impurity and the required purification period for specific lapses involving bodily functions and food contamination.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Three-night purification for eating after urination; rules for contaminated food","lookup_keywords":["mūtra-śauca","trirātra-śuddhi","keśa-doṣa","kīṭa-doṣa","pāda-spṛṣṭa"],"quick_summary":"Eating without cleansing after urination entails a three-night purification. Similar impurity applies to food contaminated by hair/insects or intentionally touched by the foot."}
Concept: Bodily purity (bāhya-śauca) and intentionality (kāmataḥ) affect the gravity of impurity and the required expiation.
Application: Maintain post-excretion cleansing before meals; discard or purify contaminated food; treat deliberate defilement as a serious lapse requiring prescribed purification time.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Shauca (Purity and Impurity rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A domestic meal setting where a person neglects cleansing after urination; separate vignettes show food with a hair/insect and a foot touching a dish, followed by a three-night observance marker (three lamps or three moons).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, triptych composition: (1) person near wash area before meal, (2) plate with visible hair and tiny insect motif, (3) foot near dish indicating defilement, symbolic three crescent moons above, bold outlines, traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold accents: three small panels framed in gold, showing contaminated food and the notion of trirātra with three golden moon discs, rich ornamentation on vessels","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic clarity: labeled-style visual cues (hair, insect, foot-touch) on a plate, then a calm figure observing purification over three nights, soft colors and fine lines","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, realistic kitchen-courtyard, servant noticing hair/insect in food, a foot accidentally/knowingly touching a platter, night scenes indicated by three successive moonlit skies"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: mūtra+uccārya+śuciḥ → mūtroccāryaśuciḥ; śuciḥ + bhuktvā → śucirbhuktvā (visarga before bh); pāda-spṛṣṭam + ca → pādaspṛṣṭañca (m + c → ñc).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (śauca gradations and time-based purification)
FAQs
It gives a shauca/prāyaścitta rule: if one eats while still impure after urination, purification is attained after a three-night period; it also flags intentional foot-contact and contamination (hair/insects) as ritual impurities requiring purification.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana compiles practical dharma—daily hygiene, food-handling purity, and expiation timelines—showing its coverage of social-religious law alongside other sciences and arts.
It treats negligence in cleanliness and intentional disrespect toward food as spiritually polluting acts, prescribing a defined purification period to restore ritual fitness and reduce the karmic fault of carelessness.