Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 24
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
शौल्किकैः स्थानपालैर् वा नष्टापहृतमाहृतं अर्वाक् संवत्सरात् स्वामी लभते परतो नृपः
śaulkikaiḥ sthānapālair vā naṣṭāpahṛtamāhṛtaṃ arvāk saṃvatsarāt svāmī labhate parato nṛpaḥ
Wird verlorenes Gut — oder gestohlenes — von Zollbeamten oder Ortswächtern eingebracht, so erhält es der Eigentümer zurück, sofern es innerhalb eines Jahres geschieht; danach fällt es dem König zu.
Lord Agni (instructing Sage Vasiṣṭha in dharma and governance topics)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Handling found/recovered property brought by customs officers or local guards: setting a one-year limitation for owner’s claim; thereafter escheat to the king.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"One-Year Rule for Recovered Lost/Stolen Property (Owner Claim vs Royal Escheat)","lookup_keywords":["customs officer","local guard","one year rule","owner claim","king takes after year"],"quick_summary":"When officials recover lost or stolen property, the owner may reclaim it within a year; after the year lapses, the property accrues to the king."}
Concept: Time-bound justice in property claims: balancing private rights with administrative finality and state custody.
Application: Owners should promptly register losses and monitor official notices; administrators should maintain inventories and public proclamations for recovered goods.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma & Vyavahāra (Law, Governance, Property and Theft)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Customs officers and local guards present recovered goods to the treasury; a public notice is posted; an owner arrives within a year to claim, contrasted with a later scene where unclaimed goods are assigned to the king.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, port/customs gate with śaulkika officials, guards (sthānapāla) carrying goods, palace treasury scene, calendar motif indicating one year, bold traditional palette","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gilded depiction of treasury and officials, recovered goods stacked, owner presenting proof within a year, later panel showing king receiving unclaimed goods, gold ornamentation","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, didactic two-panel layout: 'within one year—owner' and 'after one year—king', clear labeling, refined linework and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling customs post and city guardhouse, then detailed durbar/tax office, clerk with registers, time passage shown via seasonal borders"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्थानपालैर् = स्थानपालैः (रेफ-सन्धि); नष्टापहृतमाहृतं = नष्ट + अपहृतम् + आहृतम् (समाहार/सन्धि); संवत्सरात् स्वामी = no sandhi change; others straightforward.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (official roles: śaulkika, sthānapāla; property recovery)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of vyavahāra (jurisprudence): a one-year limitation period for an owner’s claim to recovered lost/stolen goods, after which the property escheats to the king.
Beyond mythology, it preserves practical statecraft and legal procedure—defining how officials (customs collectors and guards) handle recovered goods and how ownership versus royal right is determined by time.
It frames lawful recovery and royal appropriation as dharmic order: timely restitution protects private rights, while delayed claims prevent disorder and support the king’s duty to regulate property for social stability.