Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 7
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
गवार्थे ब्राह्मणार्थे वा सद्यः प्राणान् परित्यजेत् प्रास्येदात्मानमग्नौ वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
gavārthe brāhmaṇārthe vā sadyaḥ prāṇān parityajet prāsyedātmānamagnau vā mucyate brahmahatyayā
เพื่อประโยชน์แห่งโค หรือเพื่อประโยชน์แห่งพราหมณ์ พึงสละชีวิตโดยฉับพลัน; หรือจะทิ้งตนลงในไฟก็ได้—ด้วยการสละตนเช่นนี้ ย่อมพ้นบาปพราหมณ์ฆาต (brahmahatyā)
Lord Agni (in dialogue, instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Defines an extreme prāyaścitta for brahmahatyā: self-sacrifice for protecting a cow or a brāhmaṇa, including death by entering fire, framed as expiation.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Brahmahatyā-niṣkṛti by Self-Sacrifice (Go/Brāhmaṇa-artha)","lookup_keywords":["brahmahatyā","go-rakṣaṇa","brāhmaṇa-rakṣaṇa","ātma-tyāga","agnipraveśa"],"quick_summary":"For the gravest sin of brahmin-slaying, the text states a drastic release: giving up one’s life for the protection of a cow or a brāhmaṇa, or entering fire as self-offering."}
Concept: Prāyaścitta proportionality: the heaviest pāpa is countered by the highest personal cost; dharma prioritizes protection of go and brāhmaṇa as civilizational supports.
Application: Highlights the ethical hierarchy and the idea that restitution may demand radical renunciation; in practice, later dharma-nibandhas often interpret such statements within broader legal-ritual frameworks.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prāyaścitta (Expiations and legal-religious atonements)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent, overwhelmed by guilt, approaches a blazing sacrificial fire; nearby a cow and a brāhmaṇa are shown as the protected ideals, with witnesses in a ritual setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic agni-kunda flames stylized, penitent in simple cloth, cow and brāhmaṇa rendered iconically, strong reds and blacks, solemn faces, minimal depth","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central agni with gold highlights, penitent poised in surrender, cow and brāhmaṇa framed with ornate arches, heavy gilding to emphasize sacred gravity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, controlled composition: fire altar, ritual implements, penitent gesture of offering, explanatory clarity, soft colors and fine ornamentation","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed fire altar and attendants, penitent at threshold of flames, cow and learned brāhmaṇa in the background, architectural courtyard, nuanced expressions"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gavārthe = go-arthe; brāhmaṇārthe = brāhmaṇa-arthe; prāsyedātmānamagnau = prāsyet + ātmānam + agnau.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (brahmahatyā penances; subsequent verses on skull-bearing and long observances)
FAQs
It prescribes a prāyaścitta (expiatory discipline) for brahmahatyā: immediate self-sacrifice—especially undertaken for the protection of a cow or a Brāhmaṇa—or self-immolation, as a means of karmic release.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana includes dharma-legal material: classifications of grave sins and their remedies, functioning like a practical handbook of religious law (prāyaścitta) within a broader compendium.
It frames brahmahatyā as a mahāpātaka (great sin) and teaches that extreme self-offering, especially in defense of sacred life (cow/Brāhmaṇa), can sever the karmic bondage and grant purification.