Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 8
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
गोपशौण्डिकशैनूषरजकव्याधयोषितां ऋणं दद्यात्पतिस्त्वासां यस्माद्वृत्तिस्तदाश्रया
gopaśauṇḍikaśainūṣarajakavyādhayoṣitāṃ ṛṇaṃ dadyātpatistvāsāṃ yasmādvṛttistadāśrayā
على الزوج أن يقضي دَين نساءٍ مثل زوجة راعي البقر، وزوجة بائع الخمر، وزوجة خادم المعسكر (العسكري)، وزوجة الغسّال، وزوجة الصيّاد؛ لأن معيشتهنّ قائمة عليه بوصفه سندًا لهنّ.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, within Rajadharma discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Allocates spousal liability for certain occupational debts incurred by dependent wives; used in adjudicating creditor claims and household responsibility.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Husband’s Liability for Debts of Dependent Occupational Wives","lookup_keywords":["stri-rina","bhartr̥-dayitva","gopa","saundika","rajaka-vyadha"],"quick_summary":"For women whose livelihood is supported by the husband (in specified occupations), the husband bears responsibility to repay their debts, reflecting dependency-based liability."}
Concept: Responsibility follows dependence: where a person’s maintenance is anchored in another, financial obligations may attach to the supporter to protect creditors and household stability.
Application: In legal practice: assess whether the wife’s economic agency is independent or supported; if supported as described, enforce repayment from the husband to prevent exploitation of dependency and ensure commercial trust.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: debts, dependents, household obligations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: artha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marketplace montage: cowherd, liquor-seller, camp attendant, washerman, and hunter households; creditors approach the husband, who repays on behalf of the dependent wife.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, segmented narrative panels of five occupations, creditors with palm-leaf notes, husbands paying coins, village-market ambiance with traditional motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold accents on coin trays and trade goods (milk pots, liquor jars, laundry bundles, hunting gear), central husband figure repaying, ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean enumerative illustration: five labeled occupational scenes with a consistent legal action ‘husband repays’, fine brushwork and clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar with occupational details, creditor presenting bond, husband paying, rich textures and realistic objects"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamas","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: dadyātpatistvāsāṃ → dadyāt patiḥ tu āsām; yasmādvṛttistadāśrayā → yasmāt vṛttiḥ tad-āśrayā.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Vyavahara: rina-vyavahara and rules on dependents’ transactions (same khanda)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-legal rule of liability: a husband is responsible to discharge certain debts incurred by dependent women, since their maintenance (vṛtti) rests upon him.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical Vyavahāra/Rājadharma norms—covering social professions, dependency, and debt-liability—showing the Purana’s breadth as a compendium of governance and civil conduct.
Fulfilling dependent obligations and clearing rightful debts is treated as dharma; it prevents harm to dependents and avoids the demerit associated with unpaid obligations and neglect of maintenance.