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
Nach der Einteilung gemäß Varṇa heißt es, die Söhne eines Brāhmaṇa hätten Anteile von vier, drei, zwei und eins; die Söhne eines Kṣatriya Anteile von drei, zwei und eins; die Söhne eines Vaiśya hingegen Anteile von zwei und eins.
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).