Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 33
Mantra-śakti, Dūta-Carā (Envoys & Spies), Vyasana (Calamities), and the Sapta-Upāya of Nīti
अस्वाम्यसंहतं वापि भिन्नकूटं तथैव च दुष्पार्ष्णिग्राहमर्थञ्च बलव्यसनमुच्यते
asvāmyasaṃhataṃ vāpi bhinnakūṭaṃ tathaiva ca duṣpārṣṇigrāhamarthañca balavyasanamucyate
والمتاعُ الذي جُمِع بلا مالكٍ شرعي، والبضائعُ الخارجة من كنزٍ مكسورٍ أو مُعبَثٍ به، والثروةُ التي تُنال بالاستيلاء القسري—كلُّ ذلك يُوصَف بأنه «شقاءٌ ناشئٌ عن القوّة» (balavyasana).
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Classifying illicit/tainted wealth in legal procedure and governance; guiding confiscation, restitution, and moral-legal evaluation of acquisitions.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Balavyasana: Force-born misfortune in property acquisition","lookup_keywords":["balavyasana","asvāmya","bhinnakūṭa","coercive seizure","tainted wealth"],"quick_summary":"Ownerless-assembled property, goods from a broken/tampered hoard, and wealth gained by coercive seizure are categorized as balavyasana—misfortune/vice arising from force—implying legal and ethical taint."}
Concept: Artha must be dharmya: wealth obtained without rightful title or by force becomes a source of vyasana (calamity/vice).
Application: Rulers and households should verify title, avoid coercive gains, and treat suspicious hoards/ownerless goods through lawful adjudication.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Governance, and Legal Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court examines disputed goods: an ownerless pile, a broken-open hoard, and property seized by force; scribes record, the judge/king classifies it as balavyasana.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style courtroom: king on a simple throne, piles of goods and a cracked treasure pot, a complainant and an accused, bold outlines, flat planes, ritual seriousness","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold work: enthroned king with halo-like arch, accountants with palm-leaf ledgers, glittering coins and a broken hoard vessel highlighted in gold, formal symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic legal scene: labeled categories—'asvāmya', 'bhinnakūṭa', 'balāt gṛhīta'—shown as three piles before the judge, fine detailing and calm palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature court of justice: qazi-like judge and king, meticulous depiction of coins, seals, broken earthen pot, guards restraining a coercive taker, architectural interior with patterned carpets"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अस्वाम्यसंहतम् → अस्वामि + असंहतम् (इ + अ → य् अ); वापि → वा + अपि; अर्थञ्च → अर्थम् + च (म् + च → ञ्च); व्यसनमुच्यते → व्यसनम् + उच्यते (म् + उ → मु).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 240 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara: vyasana classifications and property disputes)
FAQs
It defines a legal category—balavyasana (loss/taint arising from force)—covering ownerless collections, tampered hoards, and wealth obtained by coercive seizure, useful for adjudicating property disputes.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical statecraft and jurisprudence, including precise classifications of disputed property and wrongful acquisition used in courts and governance.
It frames coercive appropriation and tainted gains as blameworthy misfortune, implying negative karmic consequence and the need for righteous acquisition and lawful restitution.