Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 19
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
तप्तकृच्छ्रन्तु पाषाणे शस्त्रे चाप्यतिकृच्छ्रकं मार्जारगोधानकुलमण्डूकश्वपतत्रिणः
taptakṛcchrantu pāṣāṇe śastre cāpyatikṛcchrakaṃ mārjāragodhānakulamaṇḍūkaśvapatatriṇaḥ
Para sa (pagpatay sa) pusa, godhā (iguana/bayawak), nakula (mongoose), palaka, aso, o ibon: kung (napatay) dahil sa bato, isagawa ang panatang Tapta-kṛcchra; at kung (napatay) sa pamamagitan ng sandata, isagawa ang panatang Ati-kṛcchra.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical frame for Agni Purana’s dharma sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Specifies penances for killing certain animals, distinguishing accidental/indirect killing on stone versus intentional killing with a weapon, enabling correct atonement selection.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Animal-killing expiations: Tapta-kṛcchra vs Ati-kṛcchra (cat, iguana, mongoose, frog, dog, bird)","lookup_keywords":["taptakṛcchra","atikṛcchra","mārjāra","godhā","nakula"],"quick_summary":"For killing specified animals, Tapta-kṛcchra applies when death occurs ‘on stone’ (context of impact/accident), while Ati-kṛcchra applies when killing is done with a weapon—showing intent-based escalation."}
Weapon Type: Shastra (generic weapon)
Concept: Hiṃsā-doṣa is evaluated by intention and means; deliberate weapon-use increases culpability.
Application: Adopt ahiṃsā and care in daily life; if harm occurs, undertake the penance proportionate to intent and method.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra (Prāyaścitta / Expiatory Atonements and Purificatory Penance)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dharma-teacher enumerates animals (cat, iguana, mongoose, frog, dog, bird) and contrasts two scenarios: death by stone impact versus death by weapon, assigning Tapta-kṛcchra and Ati-kṛcchra respectively.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural; central sage with manuscript; animals arranged in a semicircle; two side panels—stone impact scene and weapon scene—rendered symbolically; solemn colors and clear gestures.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting; sage with gold halo; stylized animals below; gold-leaf captions for Tapta-kṛcchra and Ati-kṛcchra; ornate frame emphasizing moral instruction.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, pedagogic illustration; neat depiction of each animal with fine outlines; arrows to two headings ‘stone’ and ‘weapon’ with corresponding penance names; soft pastel background.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature; naturalistic animals in foreground; scholar pointing to a folio listing penances; a hunter’s weapon vignette contrasted with a stone accident vignette; intricate flora border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kafi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तप्तकृच्छ्रन्तु = तप्तकृच्छ्रम् + तु; चापि = च + अपि; मार्जारगोधानकुलमण्डूकश्वपतत्रिणः = द्वन्द्वसमास (बहुपदानि)
Related Themes: Agni Purana—kṛcchra classifications (taptakṛcchra/atikṛcchra); Agni Purana—ahiṃsā and prāyaścitta rules for animal harm
FAQs
It specifies graded prāyaścitta (expiations)—Tapta-kṛcchra versus Ati-kṛcchra—based on the manner of killing certain animals (by stone vs. by weapon).
It functions like a dharma/legal manual by cataloging precise, situational rules for purification, showing the text’s coverage beyond mythology into practical religious jurisprudence.
It frames violence toward living beings as generating karmic fault, remediable through proportionate austerity, reinforcing ahiṃsā and ritual purification as means of restoring dharmic balance.