Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 21
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
तत्रापरिवृते धान्ये हिंसिते नैव दण्डनं गृहन्तडागमारामं क्षेत्रं वा भीषया हरन्
tatrāparivṛte dhānye hiṃsite naiva daṇḍanaṃ gṛhantaḍāgamārāmaṃ kṣetraṃ vā bhīṣayā haran
When the grain has not been properly enclosed and secured, there is no punishment even if it is damaged. Likewise, one who, under threat or coercion, takes away a house, a pond, a garden, or a field is not to be punished.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Establishes exemptions from punishment: no penalty when grain was left unsecured and then harmed; no penalty for taking property under coercion—guiding courts on mens rea, negligence, and duress defenses.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"No punishment in cases of unsecured grain damage and coerced taking","lookup_keywords":["aparivrta dhanya","no danda","bhishaya (coercion)","duress defense","property taking"],"quick_summary":"If grain was not properly secured, damage to it does not trigger punishment; similarly, acts done under threat/coercion in taking property are exempt—introducing negligence and duress considerations in judgment."}
Concept: Punishment must track culpability: failure to secure one’s goods shifts liability; coercion negates voluntary wrongdoing.
Application: Apply as judicial principles: assess contributory negligence and duress before imposing danda.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law, Crime, and Punishment)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A granary with grain left uncovered and later damaged; a court scene where a person explains they seized a house/pond/garden/field under threat, and the judge withholds punishment.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: open grain heaps under a simple shed, animals/birds causing damage; adjacent sabha with a frightened householder gesturing to a threatening figure, judge signaling ‘no fine’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: two-panel composition—uncovered grain store and a coercion scene near a house/pond; central king-judge with gold embellishment indicating exemption from penalty.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: narrative clarity—labels for house, pond, garden, field; accused showing signs of fear; judge and scribe recording exemption, delicate detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: realistic rural granary damage scene; then a darbar hearing with expressive faces showing coercion, property landmarks (tank, orchard, field) in the background."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tatrāparivṛte = tatra + aparivṛte; naiva = na + eva; gṛhantaḍāgamārāmaṃ interpreted as a dvandva-like list; sandhi resolved as gṛham + taḍāga + ārāmam (and kṣetram separately).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (Vyavahara: theft, damage, liability, coercion)
FAQs
It states exceptions to punishment: (1) no penalty for damage involving unsecured grain, and (2) no penalty when property is taken under coercion (bhīṣā), indicating reduced or absent culpability.
It preserves a dharmaśāstra-style rule within a Purāṇa, showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of practical governance—criminal liability, property categories (house/pond/garden/field), and penal policy alongside ritual and theology.
By distinguishing intentional wrongdoing from harm arising through negligence or coercion, the verse aligns punishment with true moral agency (kartṛtva), reinforcing dharma as justice tempered by intent and circumstance.