Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 31
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
कार्मिके रोमबद्धे च त्रिंशद्भागः क्षयो मतः न क्षयो न च वृद्धिस्तु कौशेये वल्कलेषु च
kārmike romabaddhe ca triṃśadbhāgaḥ kṣayo mataḥ na kṣayo na ca vṛddhistu kauśeye valkaleṣu ca
For kārmika cloth and for woollen (hair-bound) fabric, a loss of one-thirtieth is deemed acceptable. But for silk and for bark-garments, there should be neither loss nor increase in the assessed measure or weight.
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Standardizing allowable shrinkage/defect tolerance in textile trade for fair pricing, taxation, and dispute resolution.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Permissible loss (kṣaya) in cloth measures: wool vs silk/bark","lookup_keywords":["kṣaya","kārmika","romabaddha","kauśeya","valkala"],"quick_summary":"In assessing cloth quantity/weight, woollen/hair-bound fabrics may allow a 1/30 loss, while silk and bark garments must match the assessed measure exactly with no loss or gain."}
Concept: Fairness in commerce through objective standards (māna-pramāṇa) and material-specific rules.
Application: Use commodity-specific tolerances to prevent fraud and to settle market disputes consistently.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Weights, Measures, Commerce, and Legal Standards)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal market inspector checks bolts of wool, silk, and bark cloth on a balance and measuring rod, noting allowable shrinkage for wool but strict exactness for silk and bark garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette; a dharmic king’s officer with palm-leaf ledger measuring woollen cloth and silk cloth on a balance; clear labels of 1/30 loss for wool; orderly bazaar setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work; central figure of a royal measurer holding a golden scale and measuring staff; merchants presenting wool and silk; ornate borders; emphasis on exact measure for silk and bark cloth.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework; instructional tableau of cloth measurement: wool allowed slight deficit, silk/bark exact; tools (tula balance, danda measure) rendered precisely; calm courtly setting.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed bazaar scene; inspector weighing textiles, scribes recording; distinct textures for wool, silk sheen, and bark fiber; subtle annotation-like cartouches indicating tolerance rules."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vṛddhis tu = vṛddhiḥ + tu; triṃśadbhāgaḥ treated as triṃśad-bhāgaḥ; vikāra not present. Locatives indicate the items/contexts in which depreciation is assessed.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (Vyavahāra: weights/measures, trade norms)
FAQs
It gives a technical commercial standard: an allowable shortage of 1/30 for certain textiles (kārmika and woollen), while requiring exact measure (no deficit or excess) for silk and bark-cloth.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical governance and marketplace norms—quantifying acceptable loss and insisting on precise standards for specific luxury/ritual textiles—showing the Purana’s coverage of law, economy, and administration.
By prescribing fair measurement and preventing cheating (shorting or padding), it supports dharma in trade; honest dealing is treated as meritorious conduct, while fraud is implicitly adharma with negative karmic consequence.