Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 7
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रे दानमेव च अर्थेषु दूषणं प्रोक्तमसत्कर्मप्रवर्तनं
adeśakāle yaddānamapātre dānameva ca artheṣu dūṣaṇaṃ proktamasatkarmapravartanaṃ
Eine Gabe, die zur Unzeit und am unrechten Ort gegeben wird, ebenso wie eine Gabe an einen Unwürdigen, gilt als Makel am Vermögen und wird zum Anreiz für unrechtes Handeln (Adharma).
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Charity governance: ensure donations are timely, context-appropriate, and given to worthy recipients; otherwise wealth becomes tainted and fuels further wrongdoing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dāna-doṣa: adeśa-kāla-dāna and apātra-dāna as artha-dūṣaṇa","lookup_keywords":["dāna","adeśa-kāla","apātra","artha-dūṣaṇa","asatkarma"],"quick_summary":"Gifts given at the wrong place/time or to unworthy recipients blemish one’s wealth and encourage unrighteous conduct; proper dāna requires deśa-kāla-pātra discernment."}
Concept: Deśa-kāla-pātra is integral to dāna; misdirected charity becomes artha-doṣa and promotes adharma.
Application: Before giving: verify recipient integrity/need, choose appropriate occasion and venue, and align gift type with dharmic outcomes (education, relief, ritual duty).
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Dana-dharma (Ethics of Charity and Proper Giving)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor pauses to assess time, place, and recipient: refusing an unworthy petitioner while giving appropriately to a deserving person (scholar/poor/temple service) in the right setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, donor with offering tray, two recipients contrasted: unworthy figure turned away, worthy humble recipient accepted, background shows auspicious time marker (lamp, ritual setting), bold colors and patterned border","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, donor presenting coins/cloth to a worthy recipient near a temple mandapa, gold-leaf highlighting the act of proper dāna, an unworthy figure in shadow at the edge","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic ‘decision’ scene: three labels deśa-kāla-pātra, donor consulting an elder, then giving to a worthy recipient, clean lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, marketplace/charity scene: patron with attendants, careful selection of recipient, refusal gesture to a rogue, acceptance to a needy family or scholar, detailed urban backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Dhanyasi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: adeśakāle = a-deśa-kāle; yaddānamapātre = yat + dānam + apātre; dānameva = dānam + eva; proktamasatkarmapravartanam = proktam + asat-karma-pravartanam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dāna-dharma sections on pātra/apātra, deśa-kāla, and phala of dāna
FAQs
It gives a practical rule of dāna-vidhi: charity must be timed and situated appropriately (deśa-kāla) and offered to a worthy recipient (pātra); otherwise it is treated as a doṣa rather than a merit-producing act.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of applied dharma: it codifies social-ethical guidelines (like standards for charity) that intersect with governance, household conduct, and karmic theory.
Misplaced charity is said to taint one’s wealth and can indirectly fuel adharmic outcomes; properly directed giving preserves purity of resources and supports merit (puṇya) rather than negative karmic momentum.