Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 27
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
ततो दावाग्निदग्धस्तु स्थाणुर्भवति सानुगः ततो वर्षशतान्यष्टौ द्वे तिष्ठत्यचेतनः
tato dāvāgnidagdhastu sthāṇurbhavati sānugaḥ tato varṣaśatānyaṣṭau dve tiṣṭhatyacetanaḥ
继而为林火所灼，他化为不动之树桩，并连同其蘖芽。其后八百零二年，唯立而无觉。
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Used in preta/naraka instruction to depict karmic consequence as prolonged immobile existence; supports ethical deterrence and ritual urgency (śrāddha, prayāścitta).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Karmic consequence: becoming a fire-scorched tree-stump for 802 years","lookup_keywords":["preta-gati","dāvāgni","sthāṇu","acetanatā","802 years"],"quick_summary":"Describes a punitive rebirth: scorched by forest-fire, one becomes an insentient stump with offshoots and remains so for 802 years—an image of prolonged helplessness as karma-fruit."}
Alamkara Type: Rupaka
Concept: Karma can yield states of extreme limitation (acetanatā), where agency is suspended for vast periods; time itself becomes the instrument of retribution.
Application: Encourages timely ethical correction and ritual atonement before agency is lost; motivates compassion toward suffering beings as possible karma-bearers.
Khanda Section: Preta-Karma and Karmic Consequences (Naraka/Preta-gati descriptions)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic forest-fire aftermath: a charred stump with small offshoots stands amid ash; a faint human karmic essence implied, emphasizing insentience and the long passage of years.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, intense red-orange dāvāgni flames transitioning to blackened forest, central sthāṇu stump with offshoots, symbolic time bands or repeated suns/moons to suggest 802 years, bold outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central charred stump with gold-highlighted embers, stylized flames at edges, dark background with ornate gold border, allegorical time motif (sun/moon) above.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, narrative sequence panel: burning forest then stump standing through seasons, fine linework and muted palette, didactic clarity showing ‘acetanā’ stillness.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, realistic smoky forest-fire scene, detailed ash and bark textures, stump in center with tiny shoots, atmospheric perspective conveying long desolation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dāvāgnidagdhastu → dāva-agni-dagdhaḥ tu. sthāṇurbhavati → sthāṇuḥ bhavati. varṣaśatānyaṣṭau → varṣa-śatāni aṣṭau. tiṣṭhatyacetanaḥ → tiṣṭhati acetanaḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165 (Preta-karma / naraka-gati narrative flow)
FAQs
It conveys a karmic doctrine used in preta/naraka teaching: specific sins can result in post-mortem immobilized embodiment (becoming a stump) with a fixed duration of insentient suffering, reinforcing the need for dharma and expiatory rites.
Alongside ritual and philosophical material, the Agni Purana catalogues detailed afterlife states and time-measures of suffering, functioning as a moral-legal taxonomy of consequences that complements its broader compendium of dharma, rites, and conduct.
It underscores that harmful actions can yield prolonged, unconscious stagnation in lower embodiments; the implied takeaway is to avoid adharma and pursue purification through righteous living and prescribed expiations.