Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 8
Divya-pramāṇa-kathana
Explanation of Divine Proofs / Ordeals and Evidentiary Procedure
ये पातककृतां लोका महापातकिनां तथा अग्निदानाञ्च ये लोका ये च स्त्रीबालघातिनां
ye pātakakṛtāṃ lokā mahāpātakināṃ tathā agnidānāñca ye lokā ye ca strībālaghātināṃ
عام گناہگاروں کے جہان، اسی طرح کبیرہ گناہگاروں کے جہان؛ آگ لگانے والوں کے جہان، اور عورتوں اور بچوں کے قاتلوں کے جہان—(یہ سب بیان کیے جا رہے ہیں)۔
Lord Agni (narrating the doctrine of karmic consequences to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Cosmology","practical_application":"Moral deterrence: classify grave sins and their post-mortem destinations to guide conduct and prescribe expiation.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Realms allotted to sinners and great sinners (including arson and killing women/children)","lookup_keywords":["नरक-वर्णन","महापातक","अग्निदान","स्त्रीबालघात","पातक-लोक"],"quick_summary":"The text enumerates categories of sinners—ordinary and great—and highlights arsonists and killers of women/children as destined for specific dreadful realms."}
Concept: Karma-phala: specific heinous acts (mahāpātaka, arson, killing the vulnerable) lead to correspondingly severe afterlife consequences.
Application: Avoid violence and social-harming crimes; use prayashchitta and restraint to prevent karmic downfall.
Khanda Section: Prayashchitta & Naraka-Varṇana (Sins, Afterlife Consequences, and Expiations)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: Cosmic realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cosmic register of hell-realms: messengers of Yama point to different infernal regions assigned to arsonists and killers of women and children, conveying moral horror and consequence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic yet stylized Naraka scene, Yama’s attendants indicating separate fiery and dark zones, figures of sinners, strong outlines, limited palette, didactic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central Yama figure with gold ornamentation, surrounding vignettes of different lokas for sinners, fiery motifs for arson, protective aura absent for offenders, rich gilded borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, diagrammatic cosmology of multiple realms, labeled compartments implied by clear separations, Yama-dutas guiding souls, emphasis on clarity over gore","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, multi-panel infernal landscape with fine detail, flames for arsonists, sorrowful figures, attendants pointing to destinations, ornate border and subdued yet intense colors"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: agnidānāñca→agni-dānān ca; strībāla-→strī-bāla- (ī + b sandhi in compound).
Related Themes: Agni Purana Prayashchitta and Naraka-varnana passages listing sins and their phala (results)
FAQs
It classifies categories of grave wrongdoing—general sin, great sin, arson (agnidāna), and killing women/children—by linking them to specific post-death realms, forming the basis for later discussion of punishments and expiations.
It exemplifies the Purana’s dharma-legal and ethical cataloging: mapping actions to consequences (naraka-loka outcomes), a systematic treatment that sits alongside its ritual, polity, medicine, and literary sciences.
It underscores moral causality: severe harms such as arson and violence against the vulnerable generate heavy karmic retribution, warning the listener and motivating restraint and purification (prāyaścitta).