Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 5
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
औषधाद्युपकारे तु न पापं स्यात् कृते मृते पुत्रं शिष्यन्तथा भार्यां शासते न मृते ह्य् अघं
auṣadhādyupakāre tu na pāpaṃ syāt kṛte mṛte putraṃ śiṣyantathā bhāryāṃ śāsate na mṛte hy aghaṃ
若所为乃为利益之助，如施药救治等，则纵使因此致死，亦无罪。又如教戒其子、其弟子或其妻，于训诫惩戒之际若非故意而致死，亦不为过。
Lord Agni (narrating Agni Purana’s dharma and legal-ethical rules)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Ayurveda","practical_application":"Clarifies exceptions where unintended death does not incur sin: medical aid and reasonable discipline; informs physicians, householders, and judges about absence of culpability when intent is beneficent and harm is accidental.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"No sin in unintended death during medical aid or discipline","lookup_keywords":["auṣadha","upakāra","anapekṣita-mṛtyu","śāsana","vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"Beneficial acts like administering medicine are not sinful even if death occurs. Similarly, unintended death during legitimate chastisement of dependents is treated as non-culpable."}
Concept: Dharma evaluates intention (upakāra) and rightful context (adhikāra) alongside outcome; accidental death in beneficent or corrective duty is not automatically pāpa.
Application: For courts and communities: distinguish malpractice/cruelty from bona fide treatment or proportionate discipline; for practitioners: maintain care and non-violent intent.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Punishment, and Sin/Expiation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two parallel scenes: a physician administering medicine to a patient with attendants; and a householder/teacher disciplining a son or student with measured correction—both framed by a dharma-scale showing ‘no pāpa’ when death is unintended.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, left panel: vaidya with medicine bowl and herbs, right panel: guru/householder with restrained corrective gesture, dharma-scale motif above reading ‘anagha’, warm earthy palette and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, physician scene with gold-highlighted medicine vessels and herbs, second scene with teacher and student, ornate gold borders, central inscription ‘na pāpam’","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional diptych: ‘auṣadhopacāra’ and ‘śāsana’, careful depiction of tools (mortar, bowl) and calm postures, soft shading and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, clinic-like interior with physician and patient, and a madrasa/gurukula-like setting for discipline; fine detail, naturalistic faces, explanatory cartouches about intent and accident"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: auṣadhādyupakāre → auṣadha-ādi-upakāre; h्य् अघं → hi agham.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (liability rules and prāyaścitta gradations around homicide and exceptions)
FAQs
It states a dharma-legal principle: actions performed as beneficial aid (e.g., medical treatment) are not counted as sin even if death results, and certain disciplinary acts within household/teacherly authority are treated as faultless when death is unintended.
It blends practical domains—medicine (auṣadha) and governance/discipline (śāsana)—into a rule of culpability, showing how the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of applied ethics, law (vyavahāra), and social order (rājadharma).
Karmic blame hinges on intention and rightful duty: beneficial intent in healing and duty-bound correction, when not driven by malice, is presented as non-sinful even if an unintended fatal outcome occurs.