Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 12
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
तुरीयो ब्रह्महत्यायाः क्षत्रियस्य बधे स्मृतं वैश्ये ऽष्टमांशो वृत्तस्थे शूद्रे ज्ञेयस्तु षोडशः
turīyo brahmahatyāyāḥ kṣatriyasya badhe smṛtaṃ vaiśye 'ṣṭamāṃśo vṛttasthe śūdre jñeyastu ṣoḍaśaḥ
Sa pagpatay sa isang kṣatriya, ang kasalanan ay inaalala bilang isang-kapat ng kasalanan ng pagpatay sa brāhmaṇa; sa vaiśya ay isang-walong bahagi; at sa śūdra na namumuhay ayon sa nararapat na kabuhayan, dapat maunawaan na ito’y isang-labing-anim na bahagi.
Lord Agni (narrating dharma and expiations to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s discourse frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Determines comparative gravity of homicide across varṇas for assigning expiation and/or legal penalty; used in adjudication and priestly prescription.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Relative sin-measure for killing by varṇa (brahmahatyā baseline)","lookup_keywords":["brahmahatyā","kṣatriya-vadha","vaiśya-vadha","śūdra-vadha","turyāṣṭamāṃśa-ṣoḍaśa"],"quick_summary":"Defines homicide demerit as fractions of brahmahatyā: kṣatriya 1/4, vaiśya 1/8, śūdra (living by proper livelihood) 1/16."}
Concept: Hierarchized valuation of protected persons and proportional expiation; dharma as a graded system of responsibility and social function.
Application: Use fractional standards to calibrate penance/penalty consistently rather than arbitrarily.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Prāyaścitta (Expiations and gradations of sin)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A didactic chart-like scene: a sage points to a tablet showing fractions (1/4, 1/8, 1/16) relative to brahmahatyā, with symbolic figures of kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra beside the measures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, sage with stylus and palm-leaf, fraction symbols rendered as traditional marks, three standing figures in distinct attire, austere palette, temple-wall symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central manuscript with gold-embossed fraction motifs, three figures with ornate borders, devotional yet didactic composition, rich jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional layout, sage indicating proportional bars, fine shading, emphasis on legibility and order.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, scholar in a library presenting a folio with fractional notations, three figures in period costume, intricate carpet and architectural details."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vaiśye 'ṣṭamāṃśaḥ = vaiśye + aṣṭama-aṃśaḥ (avagraha). jñeyastu = jñeyaḥ + tu (visarga sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173.11 (gradation principle); Agni Purana 173 (homicide expiations context)
FAQs
It gives a prāyaścitta/dharma-shāstra rule: the relative magnitude of the sin of killing persons of different varṇas, expressed as fractions of brahmahatyā.
Alongside ritual, iconography, and other sciences, the Agni Purāṇa also preserves normative legal-ethical material (smṛti-style dharma and expiation), showing its wide scope as a compendium.
It frames karma as graded by the perceived social-religious status and dharmic standing of the victim (e.g., a Śūdra “vṛttastha”), guiding proportional atonement and underscoring the gravity of brahmahatyā.