Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 55
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
समुत्सृजेद्राजमार्गे यस्त्वमेध्यमनापदि स हि कार्षापणन्दण्ड्यस्तममेध्यञ्च शोधयेत्
samutsṛjedrājamārge yastvamedhyamanāpadi sa hi kārṣāpaṇandaṇḍyastamamedhyañca śodhayet
Whoever, without emergency, discharges filth on the king’s highway—he is to be fined one kārṣāpaṇa, and he must also have that filth cleaned away.
Lord Agni (in discourse to sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purāṇa’s instruction sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Municipal sanitation enforcement: fine for public defilement of highways and mandatory cleanup; supports public health and civic order.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Fine for defiling the king’s highway and compulsory cleaning","lookup_keywords":["raja-marga","amedhya","karshapana-danda","shodhana","anapadi"],"quick_summary":"Defiling a public road without necessity incurs a fixed monetary fine and an obligation to remove the filth—combining punishment with restitution."}
Concept: Śauca (cleanliness) as civic dharma enforced by the state; wrongdoing requires both penalty and rectification.
Application: Adopt bylaws: fines plus mandatory cleanup/community service for sanitation violations.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma (Law, civic order, and penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Type: Public road
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A city street (king’s highway) where an offender is fined by an official and made to clean the filth under supervision.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, stylized street with palace wall, official holding palm-leaf record, offender cleaning with water pot and broom, strong outlines, earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, civic scene with decorative borders, official seated with coin (kārṣāpaṇa) depicted, gold accents on attire, offender cleaning the road, symmetrical composition.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear instructional civic tableau: road, sign of rāja-mārga, officer assessing fine, offender performing cleaning; soft colors and fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar road, municipal officer collecting fine, offender cleaning near roadside, detailed textiles and architecture, naturalistic perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समुत्सृजेद्राजमार्गे = समुत्सृजेत् + राजमार्गे; यस्त्व = यः + तु; अमेध्यञ्च = अमेध्यम् + च.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (civic offenses and fines)
FAQs
It gives a practical rājadharma rule: defiling a public road with impurity (amedhya) without necessity incurs a fixed monetary fine and an obligation to remove/clean the impurity.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa preserves civic-law material—public sanitation, fines, and enforcement—showing it functions as a compendium of governance and social regulation.
Maintaining śauca (cleanliness) in shared spaces prevents aśauca (pollution) that can obstruct ritual purity; the fine and mandatory cleaning act as both social deterrent and a corrective purification.