Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 37
Śāva-āśauca and Sūtikā-śauca: Death/Childbirth Impurity, Preta-śuddhi, and Śrāddha Procedure
Chapter 157
परिक्रम्य ततः स्नानं कुर्युः सर्वे सवाससः प्रेताय च तथा दद्युस्त्रींस्त्रींश् चैवोदकाञ्जलीन्
parikramya tataḥ snānaṃ kuryuḥ sarve savāsasaḥ pretāya ca tathā dadyustrīṃstrīṃś caivodakāñjalīn
绕行仪处之后，众人皆应仍着衣而沐浴；并同样向亡灵（preta）奉献三次、每次三捧之水（añjali 供水）。
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, Agni Purana’s primary dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Post-cremation purification sequence: circumambulation, bathing with clothes on, and water-offerings to the preta in prescribed counts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Parikrama–snāna and tri-tri udakāñjali for the preta","lookup_keywords":["parikrama","snana-savasasah","udaka-anjali","preta-tarpana","antyeshti"],"quick_summary":"After circumambulating the rite-site, participants bathe without removing garments and offer the departed repeated handfuls of water (three and three) as a standardized preta-oblation."}
Concept: Ritual purification and continued care for the departed through regulated acts (parikrama, snāna, tarpana-like udaka).
Application: Follow the sequence and counts precisely to complete post-cremation obligations and restore communal/individual śauca.
Khanda Section: Antyeshti & Shraddha-Vidhi (Funeral Rites and Post-cremation Observances)
Primary Rasa: Karuna
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mourners circumambulate the cremation spot, then proceed to a riverbank to bathe still clothed, and offer paired sets of three water-handfuls toward the departed.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, circular movement around a ritual spot, then riverbank bathing with garments, hands cupped offering water, stylized ripples and trees, subdued tones, devotional solemnity","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, riverbank scene with gold-highlighted water arcs from cupped hands, figures in simple white cloth, minimal background, emphasis on repeated triads of offerings","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional depiction: arrows showing circumambulation direction, then bathing ‘savasasaḥ’, then six total añjalis grouped as 3+3, fine lines and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed river landscape, multiple figures in sequence, delicate depiction of water in hands, quiet grief on faces, balanced composition"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: savāsasaḥ = sa-vāsasaḥ; dadyustrīṃstrīṃś = dadyuḥ trīn trīn; caivodakāñjalīn = ca eva udaka-añjalīn.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 157 (post-cremation śauca and offerings)
FAQs
It prescribes the sequence of post-rite actions: circumambulation, a ritual bath performed without removing one’s clothes (savāsasaḥ snāna), and the offering of water-libations (udakāñjali) to the preta in sets of three.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana details practical dharma procedures—here, the precise funeral/post-funeral protocol (snāna and water offerings), showing it functions as a manual for rites alongside its many other disciplines.
The bath signifies purification after contact with death-rites, while the water offerings support and pacify the departed’s transitional state (preta), fulfilling familial duty (pitṛ/pretṛ-ṛṇa) and promoting auspiciousness for both the dead and the living.