Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 11
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
असंस्कृतास्तु संस्कार्या भ्रातृभिः पूर्वसंस्कृतैः भागिन्यश् च निजादंशाद्दत्वांशन्तु तुरीयकं
asaṃskṛtāstu saṃskāryā bhrātṛbhiḥ pūrvasaṃskṛtaiḥ bhāginyaś ca nijādaṃśāddatvāṃśantu turīyakaṃ
وأما الأخوات اللاتي لم تُجرَ لهن بعدُ السَّمْسْكارا (الطقوس المُقدَّسة كعقد الزواج وما يتبعه) فيجب أن يتكفّل بهن الإخوة الذين أُقيمت لهم السمسكارا من قبل تكفّلًا لائقًا. وعلى الأخوات أيضًا—بعد أن يُخرجن من نصيبهن—أن يقدّمن ربعَ نصيب (turīyaka) للمساهمة في ذلك.
Lord Agni (instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s rajadharma/dharmashastra material)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Vrata","practical_application":"Ensuring sisters’ marriage/samskara expenses are funded by brothers and coordinated contributions, including a stipulated quarter-share contribution toward the provision.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Asamskrita-bhagini samskara-vyaya (Provision for unmarried/unsamskarized sisters)","lookup_keywords":["asamskrita","bhagini","samskara","bhratr","turiya"],"quick_summary":"Brothers must provide for sisters who have not yet undergone samskaras (notably marriage rites); the rule specifies structured contribution, including a quarter-share (turīyaka) toward that provision, preventing neglect in partition contexts."}
Concept: Kula-dharma of safeguarding dependent women’s samskaras; partition is incomplete without provisioning for sisters’ rites and social security.
Application: In family settlements, earmark a dedicated fund for sisters’ marriage/samskara; specify proportional contributions (including the quarter-share rule) to avoid future litigation and hardship.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Smriti (Inheritance and family law / Stri-dharma)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Brothers allocate resources for an unmarried sister’s marriage rites: garments, ornaments, and ritual items; a ledger notes the quarter-share contribution; the sister stands respectfully with elders overseeing.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, warm domestic ritual scene: brothers presenting cloth and ornaments, elders with palm-leaf records, sister near a ritual lamp, emphasis on duty and protection.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold-highlighted jewelry and wedding items, brothers offering provisions, sister in bridal attire, ornate borders and temple-like interior.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional provisioning: items laid out and labeled (vastra, alankara, dakshina), ledger showing ‘turiya’, calm narrative clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed trousseau preparation with textiles and ornaments, brothers and sister in a courtyard, scribe recording contributions, refined architectural backdrop."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Sahana","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: asaṃskṛtāstu = asaṃskṛtāḥ + tu; bhāginyaś ca = bhāginyaḥ + ca; nijādaṃśāt = nijāt + aṃśāt; datvāṃśantu = datvā + aṃśān + tu.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (stri-related provisions within inheritance/partition)
FAQs
It gives a dharma-legal rule: brothers who are already ‘saṃskṛta’ must arrange the required saṃskāras (notably marriage-related rites) for sisters not yet provided for, with a specified fractional contribution (one-fourth) also coming from the sisters’ own shares.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana preserves practical dharmashastra norms—here, inheritance division and family obligations—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and civil law (rajadharma) as well as religious instruction.
Ensuring saṃskāras for dependents is treated as a dharmic obligation; fulfilling it supports social order and is traditionally regarded as merit-bearing (puṇya) because it upholds prescribed rites and familial responsibility.