Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 31
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
बन्धुदत्तं तथा शुल्कमन्वाधेयकमेव च अप्रजायामतीतायां बान्धवास्तदवाप्नुयुः
bandhudattaṃ tathā śulkamanvādheyakameva ca aprajāyāmatītāyāṃ bāndhavāstadavāpnuyuḥ
Ebenso fallen die von Verwandten gegebenen Geschenke, der Brautpreis (śulka) und die ergänzende Hochzeitsgabe (anvādheya)—wenn eine Frau kinderlos stirbt—ihren Verwandten (bāndhavas) als Erbe zu.
Lord Agni (narrating dharma and legal rules to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Succession rule for a woman’s property when she dies without children—identifying which assets revert to her natal kin.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Inheritance of strīdhana on aprājā-maraṇa (death without issue)","lookup_keywords":["bandhu-datta","shulka","anvadheya","aprajaya","bandhava inheritance"],"quick_summary":"If a woman dies childless, specific components of her property—kinsmen’s gifts, bride-price, and supplementary nuptial gifts—are inherited by her bāndhavas (kinsmen)."}
Concept: Property follows relational origin: assets sourced from kin/nuptial transactions revert to the woman’s kin-group when no progeny continues her line.
Application: In estate settlement, separate strīdhana by source (bandhu-datta, śulka, anvādheya) and transfer to eligible bāndhavas upon childless death.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharma-shastra: inheritance and property law)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A posthumous estate settlement: elders and a scribe sort a woman’s jewelry and gift items into categories, then hand them to her natal relatives (bāndhavas) due to her death without children.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, solemn indoor scene with elders seated, scribe with palm-leaf, trays of ornaments and cloth bundles, natal kin receiving items with respectful gestures, subdued yet vivid traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate trays of strīdhana items with gold highlights, elders officiating transfer to natal kin, temple-lamp motifs, rich gold embossing emphasizing valuables and legal solemnity","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear didactic arrangement of items labeled by type (śulka, anvādheya), scribe recording transfer, calm composition, fine lines and soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed inheritance meeting in a courtyard, accountant with ledger, relatives receiving jewelry boxes, nuanced mourning attire, architectural arches and carpets"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शुल्कम्+अन्वाधेयकम् → शुल्कमन्वाधेयकम्; बान्धवाः+तत् → बान्धवास्तत्; अप्रजायाम् अतीतायाम्: सप्तमी-प्रयोग indicating condition ‘in absence of offspring, upon death’.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (continuation of strīdhana and succession rules)
FAQs
It states a technical rule of Dharmaśāstra inheritance: specific categories of a woman’s marriage-related property (bandhudatta, śulka, anvādheya) revert to her natal kin (bāndhavas) if she dies without children.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purāṇa preserves practical jurisprudence—definitions of marital gifts and succession order—showing its coverage of governance and civil law (vyavahāra) alongside ritual and myth.
By prescribing lawful succession, it supports dharma (social order) and reduces disputes over strīdhana; maintaining dharmic distribution of wealth is treated as merit-bearing and stabilizing for family rites and obligations.