Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 81
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
यो मन्येताजितो ऽस्मीति न्यायेनाभिपराजितः तमायान्तं पुनर्जित्वा दण्डयेद्द्विगुणं दमं
yo manyetājito 'smīti nyāyenābhiparājitaḥ tamāyāntaṃ punarjitvā daṇḍayeddviguṇaṃ damaṃ
Wenn jemand, obwohl rechtmäßig besiegt, meint: „Ich bin nicht besiegt“, dann soll der König—wenn er zurückkehrt, um erneut zu streiten—ihn abermals besiegen und mit einer doppelt so hohen Geldbuße bestrafen.
Lord Agni (in instruction on rājadharma, addressed to Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Prevent vexatious re-litigation and contempt of judgment: if a party lawfully defeated reopens the dispute claiming non-defeat, impose double penalty upon repeat defeat.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Double penalty for re-contesting after lawful defeat","lookup_keywords":["punar-vyavahara","ajito'smi iti","nyayena parājita","dviguṇa-daṇḍa","raja-nyaya"],"quick_summary":"A litigant who refuses to accept a lawful verdict and returns to contest again is punished with a doubled fine after being defeated a second time—deterring frivolous or defiant litigation."}
Concept: Nyāya-sthairya (stability of justice): acceptance of lawful adjudication sustains social peace.
Application: Courts should discourage repeated suits after final judgment by escalating penalties for defiance and harassment.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma (Governance, Law, and Judicial Procedure)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A litigant returns to court insisting he was not defeated; the king/judge re-hears briefly, confirms the prior lawful defeat, and orders a doubled fine recorded by scribes.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural court scene with repeated petitioner at the threshold, king gesturing ‘enough’, scribes with palm leaves marking ‘double fine’, stylized pillars and parasol.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of a judge-king with gold arch, petitioner pleading again, minister presenting a tablet showing ‘2x’, treasurer with coin bags; ornate symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting procedural illustration: first verdict scene faintly in background, second appearance in foreground, scribe writing ‘dviguṇa’, clean lines and soft colors.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with two-register narrative: upper register first judgment, lower register the return and doubled fine; detailed court costumes and calligraphic docket."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"measured","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्येताजितोऽस्मीति = मन्येत + अजितः + अस्मि + इति; न्यायेनाभिपराजितः = न्यायेन + अभि-पराजितः; पुनर्जित्वा = पुनः + जित्वा; दण्डयेद्द्विगुणं = दण्डयेत् + द्विगुणम् (t/d sandhi).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (vyavahara rules and penalties)
FAQs
It imparts rājadharma/nyāya-vidyā: a procedural rule that a person who, despite a lawful defeat, re-approaches to contest again should be punished with a doubled fine to deter frivolous or obstinate re-litigation.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana also preserves practical statecraft and legal norms—here, a court-management rule about escalating penalties—showing its coverage of governance, jurisprudence, and administrative discipline.
By upholding lawful judgments and discouraging obstinate false claims, the king protects dharma; resisting a just verdict and re-stirring dispute is treated as adharma, and the doubled penalty functions as both social correction and karmic restraint.