Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 39
Mahāpātaka-ādi-kathana
Account of the Great Sins) — concluding note incl. ‘Mārjāra-vadha’ (killing of a cat
विप्रदुष्टां स्त्रियं भर्ता निरुन्ध्यादेकवेश्मनि यत् पुंसः परदारेषु तदेनाञ्चारयेद्व्रतं
vipraduṣṭāṃ striyaṃ bhartā nirundhyādekaveśmani yat puṃsaḥ paradāreṣu tadenāñcārayedvrataṃ
丈夫应将被婆罗门所败坏之妇拘置于一处居所之内，并令其遵行与男子犯他人妻所规定者相同的赎罪誓戒（vrata）。
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instructional chapters)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Domestic legal-ethical handling of adultery/sexual transgression: confinement and assignment of an expiatory vow aligned with the male offender’s prāyaścitta category.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Handling a ‘vipra-duṣṭā’ wife: confinement and equivalent prāyaścitta","lookup_keywords":["vipra-duṣṭā","strī","nirundhyāt","paradāra","vrata"],"quick_summary":"A husband should restrict a wife corrupted by a brāhmaṇa to one dwelling and impose on her the same expiatory observance prescribed for a man who violates another’s wife."}
Concept: Transgression is addressed through niyama (restriction) and prāyaścitta calibrated by the offense-category, aiming at social and ritual restoration.
Application: Apply proportionate, rule-based corrective observances rather than impulsive punishment; align household discipline with śāstric prāyaścitta.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Stri-dharma (Ethics, Social Law, Domestic Discipline)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household interior: the husband designates a single room for confinement; a vow regimen (fasting/japa) is indicated by a water pot, kusa grass seat, and counting beads, symbolizing prāyaścitta parity with paradāra offense.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, domestic interior with a restrained, solemn palette; husband at threshold indicating ‘eka-veśman’, woman seated on a mat with japa-mālā and water pot, symbolic dharma scroll motif, strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central domestic scene with ornate border; woman seated in penance posture holding mālā, husband standing with authoritative gesture; gold accents on ritual items, moral tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, didactic interior layout: single-room confinement clearly shown, penance items neatly arranged, fine linework and soft shading, instructional clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed house chamber with textiles and lattice windows; husband instructs confinement, woman seated with rosary; subtle emotional realism, courtly domestic documentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Darbari Kanada","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nirundhyāt+eka-veśmani→nirundhyādekaveśmani; tat+enām+cārayet+vratam→tadenāñcārayedvrataṃ (tat+enām→tadenām; enām+cārayet→enāñcārayet; cārayet+vratam→cārayedvratam)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 169 (prāyaścitta gradations for sexual offenses)
FAQs
It prescribes a prāyaścitta-based domestic/legal procedure: confinement and the imposition of a specific expiatory vrata aligned with penalties for intercourse with another’s spouse.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles applied dharma topics—social norms, household regulation, and expiation—functioning like a digest of governance and ethical jurisprudence (rāja- and gṛhya-oriented dharma).
The verse frames sexual misconduct as a karmically weighty fault requiring purification; the prescribed vrata is meant to mitigate sin (pāpa), restore social order, and re-establish ritual-moral purity.