Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 18
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
लुब्धो ऽन्यत्र च विक्रेता षट्शतं दण्डमर्हति दद्याद्धेनुं न यः पालो गृहीत्वा भक्तवेतनं
lubdho 'nyatra ca vikretā ṣaṭśataṃ daṇḍamarhati dadyāddhenuṃ na yaḥ pālo gṛhītvā bhaktavetanaṃ
A greedy man who sells elsewhere the property entrusted to him deserves a fine of six hundred (pāṇas). Likewise, the cowherd who, having taken his maintenance and wages, does not deliver the cow back to its owner is to be penalized.
Lord Agni (teaching sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Sets fines for breach of trust and wage-taking without performance (entrusted goods sold elsewhere; cowherd paid but not returning the cow), guiding adjudication and contract enforcement.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Fines for breach of trust by seller and defaulting cowherd","lookup_keywords":["nikshepa-bhanga","breach of trust","gopa (cowherd) wages","fine 600","vyavahara"],"quick_summary":"Selling entrusted property elsewhere incurs a 600 fine; a cowherd who takes maintenance/wages but fails to deliver the cow is similarly punishable—supporting enforceable service and custody contracts."}
Concept: Accountability in entrusted property and paid service; punishment as deterrence to greed and fraud.
Application: Use as a rule in village/royal courts for disputes over deposits, agency, and herding contracts.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Contracts, Penalties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A village court scene: an entrusted item being sold in another market; a cowherd receiving wages and fodder allowance yet withholding a cow; the king’s officer assessing a fixed fine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat bold colors: a rajadharma sabha with palm-leaf records, a merchant selling entrusted goods at a bazaar, a cowherd with cattle, royal officer indicating a fine, traditional attire, minimal shading.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting: central seated king-judge with gold halo-like arch, attendants holding palm-leaf ledger, a cow and cowherd to one side, merchant with goods to the other, rich ornamentation and gold work emphasizing royal justice.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: detailed courtroom procedure, scribe writing, litigants presenting a cow and wage tokens, clear depiction of evidence and penalty assessment, delicate lines and soft palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: bustling market where entrusted goods are sold, then a darbar justice scene with precise textiles, architectural court backdrop, cowherd and cow rendered naturalistically, fine being proclaimed."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: lubdho 'nyatra = lubdhaḥ + anyatra; daṇḍamarhati = daṇḍam + arhati; dadyāddhenuṃ = dadyāt + dhenum; bhaktavetanaṃ = bhakta-vetanam (tatpuruṣa).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Rajadharma/Vyavahara: fines, theft, custody, negligence)
FAQs
It teaches vyavahāra-vidyā (practical legal procedure): penalties for fraudulent resale of entrusted goods and for a paid cowherd’s failure to deliver the cow, establishing liability tied to wages received.
Beyond myth and worship, the Agni Purana preserves workable civil and criminal rules—wages, service contracts, entrusted property, and calibrated fines—showing its coverage of statecraft and jurisprudence (rājadharma).
By condemning greed and breach of trust, it frames honest livelihood as dharma; unjust gain and betrayal of entrusted duty generate negative karma, while lawful restitution and punishment restore social and moral order.