Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 31
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
तृणकाष्ठद्रुमाणान्तु शुष्कान्नस्य गुडस्य च चेलचर्मामिषाणान्तु त्रिरात्रं स्यादभोजनं
tṛṇakāṣṭhadrumāṇāntu śuṣkānnasya guḍasya ca celacarmāmiṣāṇāntu trirātraṃ syādabhojanaṃ
若涉草、薪木与树木之类，又涉干粮与粗糖（jaggery），以及衣布、皮革与肉类等，其所规定之赎罪为三夜断食（不食）。
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Applying a three-night fast (trirātra abhojana) as expiation for specified defilements/contacts involving common materials and foods (grass/wood/trees, dried food, jaggery, cloth, leather, meat).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Trirātra-abhojana for specified materials/foods (śauca-prāyaścitta)","lookup_keywords":["trirātra","abhojana","tṛṇa-kāṣṭha-druma","guḍa","caila-carma-āmiṣa"],"quick_summary":"For certain contacts/impurities involving everyday materials and foods, the text prescribes abstention from eating for three nights as a standard purificatory expiation."}
Concept: Bodily restraint (upavāsa/abhojana) functions as a purificatory sādhanā to counteract impurity and moral lapse.
Application: Undertake a defined, time-limited fast as a reset of habits and as a marker of accountability, paired with mindful conduct.
Khanda Section: Prāyaścitta & Śauca-vidhi (Expiations and Purificatory Rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent observing a three-night fast: sitting calmly with a water-pot, avoiding food; surrounding symbolic items—grass/wood, dried grains, jaggery, cloth, leather, meat—indicate the triggers for the expiation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ascetic seated with kamaṇḍalu, minimal setting; symbolic objects arranged in a decorative band; subdued palette emphasizing restraint and purity.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, central fasting figure with gold halo-like arch; ritual water-pot; small vignettes of cloth/leather/meat and dried food; rich colors with solemn mood.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional composition: ‘three nights’ suggested by three lamps or three moons; fasting figure in profile; fine linework and gentle shading.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, quiet interior with fasting observer, attendants offering food being refused; detailed still-life of jaggery and dried grains; night-sky cues across three panels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तृणकाष्ठद्रुमाणान्तु → तृणकाष्ठद्रुमाणाम् + तु; चेलचर्मामिषाणान्तु → चेलचर्मामिषाणाम् + तु; स्यादभोजनम् → स्यात् + अभोजनम् (त् + अ → द).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 169 (śauca rules; fasting-based prāyaścitta)
FAQs
It prescribes a specific prāyaścitta: a three-night fast (trirātra-abhojana) as the remedial observance connected with impurity/prohibited involvement regarding items like dried food, jaggery, cloth, leather, and meat.
By codifying practical dharma procedures—graded expiations and fasting rules—the Agni Purana functions as a reference manual of ritual law and daily-life regulation alongside its theology and other sciences.
A three-night fast is presented as a purificatory discipline that mitigates doṣa (ritual/ethical fault) and helps restore śauca (purity) and adhikāra (fitness) for religious conduct.