Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 29
अध्याय १ — यजुर्विधानम्
Agni Purana, Chapter 259: Yajur-vidhāna
कुष्माण्डघृतहोमेन सर्वान् पापान् व्यपोहति शक्तुयावकभैक्षाशी नक्तं मनुजसत्तम
kuṣmāṇḍaghṛtahomena sarvān pāpān vyapohati śaktuyāvakabhaikṣāśī naktaṃ manujasattama
Sa pamamagitan ng pag-aalay ng homa na may ghee kasama ang kuṣmāṇḍa (puting kalabasa/winter melon), naaalis ang lahat ng kasalanan. O pinakamainam sa mga tao, ang nagsasagawa ay dapat mabuhay sa śaktu (harina), yāvaka (lugaw na sebada), at bhaikṣa (pagkaing limos), at kumain lamang sa gabi.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha / the listener addressed as ‘best of men’)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Expiatory regimen: perform kuṣmāṇḍa-ghṛta-homa for pāpa-kṣaya, accompanied by dietary restraint—simple foods and night-only eating—to support purification and vow-discipline.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kuṣmāṇḍa-ghṛta-homa with niyama of śaktu–yāvaka–bhaikṣa and nakta-bhojana","lookup_keywords":["kuṣmāṇḍa homa","ghṛta āhuti","prāyaścitta","nakta-bhojana","śaktu yāvaka bhaikṣa"],"quick_summary":"A specific expiation is given: ghee oblations with kuṣmāṇḍa remove sins, and the practitioner maintains a purificatory diet of simple fare, taking food only at night."}
Dosha: Pitta
Concept: Prāyaścitta integrates ritual act (homa) with ethical-ascetic regulation (niyama of diet) to reorient conduct and mind.
Application: Pair expiatory rites with measurable lifestyle constraints (food timing and simplicity) to reinforce accountability and self-control.
Khanda Section: Prayashchitta & Vrata-vidhi (Expiatory rites and purificatory observances)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A practitioner performs homa offering ghee mixed with pieces/pulp of kuṣmāṇḍa; nearby are simple foods—śaktu and yāvaka—while the practitioner eats only at night, emphasizing austerity and purification.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: homa altar with kuṣmāṇḍa and ghṛta vessels, ascetic figure with restrained posture, night sky motif indicating nakta-bhojana; earthy palette and bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central homa with gold-highlighted flames; kuṣmāṇḍa fruit and ghee pot rendered richly; devotee in simple attire; decorative border with subtle night symbolism (moon).","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: instructional still-life of ritual items (kuṣmāṇḍa, ghṛta, ladle, kuṇḍa) plus simple diet bowls labeled śaktu/yāvaka; soft shading and precise linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: evening courtyard scene with moonlight; homa in progress; attendant brings modest bowls of gruel; detailed utensils and textiles; calm, disciplined mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कुष्माण्डघृतहोमेन = कुष्माण्ड-घृत-होमेन; भैक्षाशी = भैक्ष + आशी; मनुजसत्तम = मनुज + सत्तम.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 259 (Prāyaścitta & Vrata-vidhi context); Agni Purana vrata/niyama discussions (elsewhere in the text)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific prāyaścitta: performing a kuṣmāṇḍa–ghṛta homa, combined with a restrained regimen (alms-based simple foods and nakta—eating only at night) for purification.
It exemplifies the text’s practical catalog of applied dharma—detailing not only ritual procedure (homa-dravya selection) but also allied austerities (dietary rules), integrating rite and lifestyle as a complete expiatory system.
The verse frames the homa and disciplined intake as a means of pāpa-kṣaya (karmic demerit reduction), where fire-offering and self-restraint jointly function as purification and moral re-alignment.