Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 4
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
सर्वस्वं वा वेदविदे ब्राह्मणायोपपादयेत् व्रतैर् एतैर् व्यपोहन्ति महापातकिनो मलं
sarvasvaṃ vā vedavide brāhmaṇāyopapādayet vratair etair vyapohanti mahāpātakino malaṃ
یا اپنا سارا مال و دولت وید دان برہمن کو نذر کر دے۔ ان ورتوں کے ذریعے بڑے گناہوں کے مرتکب بھی اپنی آلودگی دور کر لیتے ہیں۔
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Teaches dāna (total wealth-gift) to a Veda-knower as an expiation mechanism; frames vows as moral-ritual technologies for removing mahāpātaka impurity.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sarvasva-dāna to Veda-vid Brāhmaṇa as Prāyaścitta","lookup_keywords":["sarvasva-dāna","vedavid","brāhmaṇa","mahāpātaka","vrata"],"quick_summary":"Total relinquishment of wealth to a qualified Veda-knower is presented as a potent expiation; vows and disciplined observances are said to cleanse even great-sin defilement."}
Concept: Dāna and vrata as instruments of inner and social purification; wealth-renunciation counters moral stain.
Application: Directs offenders toward reparative giving and disciplined vows, emphasizing qualified recipients and transformative relinquishment.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Dharma-vidhi (Atonements, vows, and expiation for sins)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent householder offers all possessions—coins, grain, garments—to a serene Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa seated on a kusa mat; the mood is quiet renunciation and moral repair.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, frontal figures: donor with folded hands presenting heaps of goods, vedavid brāhmaṇa with palm-leaf Veda bundle, simple ritual setting with lamp and kusa mat, warm earthy palette and ornamental borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, donor offering treasure and cloth with gold embossing on vessels and ornaments, brāhmaṇa with halo-like gold, rich reds and greens, temple-like interior framing the act of dāna","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework showing categorized gifts (grain, cattle token, coins), calm expressions, emphasis on ethical instruction, soft pastel palette and delicate shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard with textiles and containers, donor presenting wealth to scholar-priest, fine architectural backdrop, nuanced gestures and facial expressions conveying humility"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: brāhmaṇāya + upapādayet → brāhmaṇāyopapādayet; vratair + etaiḥ → vratairetaiḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: dāna-vidhi passages; Agni Purana: mahāpātaka and prāyaścitta lists
FAQs
It prescribes prāyaścitta through dāna (formal gifting), specifically giving one’s entire wealth to a Veda-knowing Brāhmaṇa, alongside prescribed vratas as a means of purification.
It exemplifies the text’s dharma and legal-ritual coverage by detailing expiatory mechanisms (vrata and dāna) for grave moral violations, complementing its wide-ranging subjects beyond mythology.
The verse frames generosity and disciplined vows as purifiers that erase the karmic ‘stain’ (mala) even of mahāpātakas, emphasizing transformation through renunciation, restitution, and dharmic observance.