Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 21
प्रायश्चित्तानि (Expiations) — Association-Impurity, Purification Rites, and Graded Penance
शुद्ध्येयुरुपवासेन पञ्चगव्येन वाप्यथ यस्तु संस्पृश्य चण्डालमश्नीयाच्च स्वकामतः
śuddhyeyurupavāsena pañcagavyena vāpyatha yastu saṃspṛśya caṇḍālamaśnīyācca svakāmataḥ
应以斋戒净化，或服用“五牛圣液”(pañcagavya)而得清净。然若有人触及旃陀罗（caṇḍāla）之后仍故意进食，则染不净，须行赎罪之法。
Lord Agni (narrating Dharma and expiations to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the common Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Ritual purity management after contact-based impurity: choose fasting or pañcagavya intake; highlights intentionality (saṅkalpa) as aggravating factor.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Śuddhi by Upavāsa or Pañcagavya after Caṇḍāla-sparśa; intentional eating as doṣa","lookup_keywords":["śauca","prāyaścitta","pañcagavya","upavāsa","caṇḍāla-sparśa"],"quick_summary":"For impurity arising from contact with a caṇḍāla, purification is by fasting or pañcagavya; deliberate eating after such contact is treated as a culpable transgression requiring expiation."}
Concept: Intentionality (svakāma/saṅkalpa) increases moral-ritual fault; discipline restores ritual fitness.
Application: Cultivate restraint after impurity-contact; adopt prescribed expiation promptly to re-enter rites and communal worship.
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Shauca-prayashchitta (Purification and Expiation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder performs purification: fasting discipline and preparation of pañcagavya after an impurity-contact; emphasis on mindful restraint before eating.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, muted earth pigments, a Brahmin seated in śauca posture with water pot and pañcagavya bowl, attendants indicating ritual purity, palm-leaf manuscript in background, flat iconic composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on ritual vessels, seated dvija with kamandalu and pañcagavya cup, ornate arch frame, minimal background, devotional-instructional mood","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework, instructional scene of fasting vow with calendar-like lunar marks, clean interior, ritual implements labeled visually, soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic courtyard, scholar-priest refusing food, servant holding pañcagavya mixture, precise textiles and vessels, narrative realism"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शुद्ध्येयुरुपवासेन = शुद्ध्येयुः + उपवासेन; वाप्यथ = वा + अपि + अथ; चण्डालमश्नीयाच्च = चण्डालम् + अश्नीयात् + च; स्वकामतः treated as avyayībhāva (स्व + काम + तस्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 170 (Śauca–Prāyaścitta section)
FAQs
It prescribes two standard purification measures—upavāsa (fasting) or pañcagavya—when impurity is incurred, and flags intentional eating after contact with an impure person as a culpable act needing expiation.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purāṇa compiles practical Dharma material: rules of śauca (purity), everyday conduct, and prāyaścitta (expiations), functioning like a handbook of ritual-legal norms.
The verse distinguishes accidental impurity from deliberate transgression: intentional action (svakāmataḥ) increases moral fault, so purification is not merely physical but also a corrective for willful breach of dharma.