Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 47
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
तृणकाष्ठद्रुमाणाञ्च शुष्कान्नस्य गुडस्य च चेलचर्मामिषाणाञ्च त्रिरात्रं स्यादभोजनं
tṛṇakāṣṭhadrumāṇāñca śuṣkānnasya guḍasya ca celacarmāmiṣāṇāñca trirātraṃ syādabhojanaṃ
Kung ang isang tao ay kumain o nadungisan ng damo, kahoy, mga puno (at mga katulad na di-wastong bagay), gayundin ng tuyong pagkain at jaggery (guda), at pati ng tela, balat, at karne, nararapat siyang magsagawa ng hindi pagkain (pag-aayuno) sa loob ng tatlong gabi.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Guidance for expiatory fasting (upavāsa) after contact/consumption of ritually improper substances to restore śauca and eligibility for rites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Trirātra-abhojana for impurity from improper substances","lookup_keywords":["trirātra","abhojana","śauca","prāyaścitta","aśuci-dravya"],"quick_summary":"For defilement/consumption involving certain improper materials (including meat, leather, cloth, etc.), a three-night fast is prescribed as a purificatory expiation."}
Concept: Śauca is restored through regulated restraint (upavāsa) when ritual impurity is incurred.
Application: Use fasting as a corrective discipline to regain ritual fitness for daily rites and social-religious participation.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śauca-vidhi (Expiations and Purificatory Observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent observing a three-night fast, seated on a simple mat with a water pot, while impure items (meat, leather, cloth, jaggery, dry food) are shown aside as the cause of expiation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, austere penitent in white cloth seated in vrata posture, kamandalu nearby, symbolic items (meat, leather, cloth, jaggery) placed at margin, earthy reds and ochres, flat iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central fasting figure with minimal ornaments, gold-leaf halo-like arch framing the vow scene, small inset icons of the impure substances, rich maroons and greens, devotional austerity mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional vrata scene with labeled objects (dry food, jaggery, cloth, leather, meat), clean lines, soft shading, calm domestic-ritual setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, a scholar-priest advising a householder about trirātra fasting, detailed still-life of items on a tray, delicate architecture and textiles, subdued palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तृणकाष्ठद्रुमाणाञ्च = तृण + काष्ठ + द्रुमाणाम् + च; शुष्कान्नस्य = शुष्क + अन्नस्य; चेलचर्मामिषाणाञ्च = चेल + चर्म + आमिषाणाम् + च; स्यादभोजनं = स्यात् + अभोजनम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purāṇa 173 (Prāyaścitta-śauca section)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific prāyaścitta: a three-night fast (trirātra-abhojana) as a purificatory remedy when one is implicated in consumption/contact with certain improper or defiling items such as leather/meat and related substances.
By codifying practical dharma-śāstra style regulations—precise durations and modes of expiation—the Agni Purana functions as a compendium that includes ritual law and purification alongside its many other subjects.
The three-night fast is framed as a purifying discipline that mitigates ritual impurity and karmic fault, restoring eligibility for sacred acts and reinforcing self-restraint (niyama) as a means of inner and outer cleansing.