Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 40
Prāyaścitta — Definitions of Killing, Brahmahatyā, and Graded Expiations
अन्ययेन परस्वापहरणं स्तेयमुच्यते मुसलेन हतो राज्ञा स्वर्णस्तेयी विशुद्ध्यति
anyayena parasvāpaharaṇaṃ steyamucyate musalena hato rājñā svarṇasteyī viśuddhyati
অন্যায়ভাবে পরের সম্পদ হরণ করাকে ‘স্তেয়’ (চুরি) বলা হয়। স্বর্ণচোরকে রাজা যদি মুগুর/মুসলে হত্যা করে, তবে সে (সে পাপ থেকে) শুদ্ধ হয়।
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha in rajadharma/vyavahāra norms)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Defining theft and stating the royal punitive-expiatory principle: capital punishment for gold theft by the king (club execution) is treated as purification of the offender’s sin within the juridical-dharmic framework.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Steya (Theft) and Royal Punishment for Suvarṇa-steya","lookup_keywords":["steya","suvarṇa-steya","rājadaṇḍa","musala","vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"The unlawful taking of another’s property is theft; for gold theft, death inflicted by the king is presented as a purificatory resolution of the sin (from the text’s dharma-legal standpoint)."}
Weapon Type: Mace/club (musala) as instrument of execution
Concept: Rājadaṇḍa as dharmic instrument: punishment functions as social protection and (as framed here) expiatory closure for grave crimes.
Application: In governance ethics, classify theft precisely and apply proportionate daṇḍa; the verse reflects a deterrence model for high-value/ritually grave theft (gold).
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharma-shastra: criminal law, theft, royal punishment, expiation)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court scene defining theft; a gold thief is sentenced and executed with a musala by royal order, emphasizing the king’s role as upholder of dharma and public order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized king on throne with attendants, offender presented, symbolic musala shown, strong reds/ochres, emphasis on dharma-justice iconography rather than gore","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, king with ornate crown and gold embellishments, court setting with gold leaf highlights, offender kneeling, musala depicted ceremonially, moral-legal tableau","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional court composition: labels for 'steya' and 'suvarṇa-steya', clear depiction of musala and royal insignia, restrained depiction of punishment","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed durbar with courtiers, precise textiles and architecture, narrative moment of sentencing and guarded escort, musala visible as state instrument"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: steyam + ucyate → steyamucyate; para + sva + apaharaṇam → parasvāpaharaṇam; svarṇa + steyī → svarṇasteyī.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 173 (rājadharma/vyavahāra and prāyaścitta adjacency)
FAQs
It provides a juridical definition of theft (steya) as unlawful appropriation of another’s property and states a specific royal penalty for gold-theft, treated as a form of expiatory purification.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves dharma-śāstra style governance material—definitions of offenses, the king’s duty to punish, and the idea of purification through punishment—showing its wide, practical scope.
It frames royal punishment as karmically expiatory: the gold-thief’s sin is considered cleansed through the king’s lawful execution, emphasizing both deterrence and purification within dharmic order.