Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 12
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
चतुःस्त्रिद्व्येकभागाः स्युर्वर्णशो ब्राह्मणात्मजाः क्षत्रजास्त्रिद्व्येकभागा विड्जास्तु द्व्येकभागिनः
catuḥstridvyekabhāgāḥ syurvarṇaśo brāhmaṇātmajāḥ kṣatrajāstridvyekabhāgā viḍjāstu dvyekabhāginaḥ
বৰ্ণভেদ অনুসাৰে অংশবণ্টন এইদৰে—ব্ৰাহ্মণৰ পুত্ৰসকলৰ অংশ চাৰি, তিনি, দুই আৰু এক; ক্ষত্ৰিয়ৰ পুত্ৰসকলৰ অংশ তিনি, দুই আৰু এক; আৰু বৈশ্যৰ পুত্ৰসকলৰ অংশ দুই আৰু এক বুলি কোৱা হৈছে।
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vashistha, as per the dominant Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guiding inheritance partition by varna-wise fractional shares in joint-family property disputes and royal courts.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Varna-wise inheritance share fractions (Brahmana/Kshatriya/Vaishya sons)","lookup_keywords":["vibhaga","dayabhaga","varna","amsa","putra-bhaga"],"quick_summary":"Sets graded fractional shares for sons depending on varna, serving as a rule-of-thumb for partition calculations in dharma-legal contexts."}
Concept: Orderly social-legal distribution of property through rule-based shares.
Application: Use as a normative template for adjudicating partition and preventing intra-family conflict.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Varna-ashrama (Social law and lineage rules)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court scene where a judge and scribes compute fractional shares for heirs of different varnas using tally marks and palm-leaf accounts.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, flat vibrant colors, a dharmic royal court with a seated raja and learned brahmin jurist pointing to palm-leaf ledger showing fractional shares, traditional ornaments, symmetrical composition","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, raja on throne with gold foil halo-like arch, jurist presenting a palm-leaf with numerals for shares, rich textiles, jewel tones, ornate pillars","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, fine linework, instructional tableau of partition: heirs seated in rows, scribe drawing share divisions on a board, subtle shading, calm didactic mood","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court interior, accountants with ledgers and inkpots, heirs in distinct attire, precise depiction of fractional division on paper, naturalistic faces"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bilawal","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चतुःस्त्रिद्व्येकभागाः = चतुः-त्रि-द्वि-एक-भागाः; स्युर्वर्णशो = स्युः वर्णशः; क्षत्रजास्त्रिद्व्येकभागा = क्षत्रजाः त्रि-द्वि-एक-भागाः; विड्जास्तु = विट्जाः तु; द्व्येकभागिनः = द्वि-एक-भागिनः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara: inheritance and types of sons)
FAQs
It imparts a dharmaśāstra-style technical rule for apportioning “shares” (bhāga) among sons, graded by varna (Brahmin: 4/3/2/1; Kshatriya: 3/2/1; Vaishya: 2/1).
Beyond myth and worship, it preserves governance and civil-law material—inheritance and social regulation—showing the Agni Purana’s compendium-like coverage of practical polity (rājadharma) and normative law.
By prescribing orderly, dharma-aligned distribution, it frames property division as a moral act that reduces conflict and supports social harmony, aligning household conduct with dharma (thus avoiding adharma-born demerit).