Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 28
Adhyaya 165 — नानाधर्माः
Various Dharmas
पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु जायते ब्रह्मराक्षसः प्लवेन लभते मोक्षं कुलस्योत्सादनेन वा
pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu jāyate brahmarākṣasaḥ plavena labhate mokṣaṃ kulasyotsādanena vā
当圆满一千年之期时，便转生为婆罗门罗刹（brahmarākṣasa）。他或凭“plava”（使人越渡、净化的渡越仪轨）而得解脱，或因自家族系的毁灭而得解脱。
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Guidance for expiation and post-mortem ritual logic concerning preta/brahmarākṣasa states and the exceptional means of release described in the text.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Brahmarākṣasa: duration and modes of mokṣa (plava / kulotsādana)","lookup_keywords":["brahmarākṣasa","plava","mokṣa","kulotsādana","preta-karma"],"quick_summary":"After a thousand-year completion, the being is described as a brahmarākṣasa; release is said to occur either through a ‘plava’ rite (a carrying-over purification) or through the drastic karmic resolution of lineage-destruction."}
Concept: Karmaphala in afterlife states and exceptional apavarga (release) mechanisms tied to ritual ‘crossing-over’ (plava) or severe karmic termination (kulotsādana).
Application: Frames the ethical urgency of dharma and expiation by portraying long-duration consequences and rare exit-paths from a condemned post-mortem condition.
Khanda Section: Preta-Karma and Afterlife Doctrines (Ghosts, expiation, liberation)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A fearsome brahmarākṣasa figure at the threshold of the afterlife, with a symbolic ‘plava’ as a raft/bridge of purification over dark waters; in the background, a fading family tree signifying kulotsādana as a grim alternative.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, deep earthy reds and greens, brahmarākṣasa with intense eyes and matted hair, dark river of saṃsāra, a luminous ritual raft (plava) with Vedic symbols, priests performing expiatory rites on the bank, dramatic chiaroscuro.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central brahmarākṣasa rendered with stylized ornaments, gold-leaf halo around a symbolic mokṣa-path raft, embossed ritual implements (kuśa, kalaśa), ornate border, strong icon-like composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, refined linework, instructional vignette: left panel shows the condemned state after ‘thousand years’; right panel shows plava rite as a crossing with priests and mantra-scrolls; muted palette with delicate shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, narrative split-scene: a dark river crossing with a small raft labeled plava, a spectral brahmarākṣasa approaching release; background includes a genealogical tree motif with withering branches; fine detailing, naturalistic water and textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kulasya+utsādanena → kulasyotsādanena; compounds: varṣa-sahasra (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), brahma-rākṣasa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 165 (Preta-karma / nānādhama context); Agni Purana 166 (transition into varṇāśrama-dharma)
FAQs
It states a timed karmic consequence (a thousand-year condition culminating in brahmarākṣasa status) and gives two stated exit-paths: release through a plava (a ‘crossing-over’ purificatory means/rite) or through the termination of one’s lineage.
Alongside ritual and dharma topics, the Agni Purana also systematizes afterlife taxonomy—types of post-death states (like brahmarākṣasa), their duration, and remedial pathways—functioning like a reference manual on karmic outcomes and expiations.
The verse frames brahmarākṣasa existence as a long-term karmic fruition and emphasizes that liberation may come through a prescribed ‘crossing’ purification or, grimly, through the exhaustion/ruin of one’s familial line—highlighting both individual and lineage-linked karma.