Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 59
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
चौरं प्रदाप्यापहृतं घातयेद्विविधैर् बुधैः सचिह्नं ब्राह्मणं कृत्वा स्वराष्ट्राद्विप्रवासयेत्
cauraṃ pradāpyāpahṛtaṃ ghātayedvividhair budhaiḥ sacihnaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ kṛtvā svarāṣṭrādvipravāsayet
চোরকে হৃত দ্রব্য ফেরত দিতে বাধ্য করে, জ্ঞানীরা বিধানমতে দুই প্রকারে তাকে মৃত্যুদণ্ড দেবে। কিন্তু অপরাধী যদি ব্রাহ্মণ হয়, তবে তাকে চিহ্নাঙ্কিত করে রাজ্যের সীমা থেকে নির্বাসিত করা হোক।
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha on rāja-dharma)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Sentencing rules for theft: restitution first; capital punishment for severe theft; special dispensation for Brahmin offenders via branding and exile.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Theft Punishment: Restitution, Execution, and Brahmin Exception (Branding & Exile)","lookup_keywords":["chora","pradapya (compel to repay)","ghatana (execution)","brahmana-aparadha","chihna (branding)"],"quick_summary":"The thief must restore stolen goods; then the state may impose death by prescribed methods, but a Brahmin offender is marked (branded) and expelled rather than executed."}
Concept: Danda is calibrated by social-legal categories; restitution is mandatory, while penal severity may vary by status norms.
Application: In governance design, distinguish compensatory justice (repayment) from punitive justice; encode exceptional penalties where the legal tradition mandates them.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Dandaniti and Vyavahara—law, punishment, and governance)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Kingdom
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"After repayment, the thief is sentenced; execution is ordered for a common offender, while a Brahmin offender is branded with a mark and escorted beyond the border for exile.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: split narrative panel—left: thief returning a pot of coins; right: guards with spear escort a branded Brahmin past a boundary marker; strong outlines, symbolic gestures, minimal gore.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king with gold halo-like arch, decree gesture; branded mark shown on shoulder; attendants holding a document of exile; rich gold work, stylized figures, emphasis on royal authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: procedural depiction with two outcomes—execution order for thief and branding/exile for Brahmin; fine linework, calm didactic tone, clear boundary pillar labeled as realm border.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: court scene with restitution, then a procession leaving the city gate; the branded offender rides or walks under guard; architectural city gate and border milestone rendered in detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रदाप्यापहृतम् = प्रदाप्य + अपहृतम्; घातयेद्विविधैः = घातयेत् + विविधैः; स्वराष्ट्राद्विप्रवासयेत् = स्वराष्ट्रात् + विप्रवासयेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (danda gradations; theft and offender categories)
FAQs
It gives a rāja-dharma rule of criminal procedure: restitution of stolen property, state-imposed execution for thieves, and an alternative sanction for a Brāhmaṇa—branding and banishment.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical governance material—penal policy, social categories, and graded punishments—showing it functions as a compendium of dharma, law, and administration.
It frames punishment as dharmic statecraft: restoring what was taken and removing the offender from society is presented as maintaining rta/dharma, limiting further sin and social disorder.