Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 39
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
विप्रदुष्टां स्त्रियं भर्ता निरुन्ध्यादेकवेश्मनि यत् पुंसः परदारेषु तदेनाञ्चारयेद्व्रतं
vipraduṣṭāṃ striyaṃ bhartā nirundhyādekaveśmani yat puṃsaḥ paradāreṣu tadenāñcārayedvrataṃ
Dapat ikulong ng asawa sa iisang tahanan ang babaeng nadungisan dahil sa isang brāhmaṇa; at dapat niyang ipasunod sa kanya ang kaparehong panatang-pagpapatawad (vrata) na itinakda para sa lalaking nakipag-ugnayan sa asawa ng iba.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instructional chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Domestic legal-ethical handling of adultery/sexual transgression: confinement and assignment of an expiatory vow aligned with the male offender’s prāyaścitta category.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Handling a ‘vipra-duṣṭā’ wife: confinement and equivalent prāyaścitta","lookup_keywords":["vipra-duṣṭā","strī","nirundhyāt","paradāra","vrata"],"quick_summary":"A husband should restrict a wife corrupted by a brāhmaṇa to one dwelling and impose on her the same expiatory observance prescribed for a man who violates another’s wife."}
Concept: Transgression is addressed through niyama (restriction) and prāyaścitta calibrated by the offense-category, aiming at social and ritual restoration.
Application: Apply proportionate, rule-based corrective observances rather than impulsive punishment; align household discipline with śāstric prāyaścitta.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Stri-dharma (Ethics, Social Law, Domestic Discipline)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household interior: the husband designates a single room for confinement; a vow regimen (fasting/japa) is indicated by a water pot, kusa grass seat, and counting beads, symbolizing prāyaścitta parity with paradāra offense.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic interior with a restrained, solemn palette; husband at threshold indicating ‘eka-veśman’, woman seated on a mat with japa-mālā and water pot, symbolic dharma scroll motif, strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central domestic scene with ornate border; woman seated in penance posture holding mālā, husband standing with authoritative gesture; gold accents on ritual items, moral tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic interior layout: single-room confinement clearly shown, penance items neatly arranged, fine linework and soft shading, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed house chamber with textiles and lattice windows; husband instructs confinement, woman seated with rosary; subtle emotional realism, courtly domestic documentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nirundhyāt+eka-veśmani→nirundhyādekaveśmani; tat+enām+cārayet+vratam→tadenāñcārayedvrataṃ (tat+enām→tadenām; enām+cārayet→enāñcārayet; cārayet+vratam→cārayedvratam)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 169 (prāyaścitta gradations for sexual offenses)
FAQs
It prescribes a prāyaścitta-based domestic/legal procedure: confinement and the imposition of a specific expiatory vrata aligned with penalties for intercourse with another’s spouse.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles applied dharma topics—social norms, household regulation, and expiation—functioning like a digest of governance and ethical jurisprudence (rāja- and gṛhya-oriented dharma).
The verse frames sexual misconduct as a karmically weighty fault requiring purification; the prescribed vrata is meant to mitigate sin (pāpa), restore social order, and re-establish ritual-moral purity.