Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 14
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
सो ऽन्तर्दशाहात्तत्स्वामी दद्याच्चैवाददीत च परेण तु दशाहस्य नादद्यान्नैव दापयेत्
so 'ntardaśāhāttatsvāmī dadyāccaivādadīta ca pareṇa tu daśāhasya nādadyānnaiva dāpayet
Si es dentro de diez días, el verdadero dueño debe devolver (el objeto) y también aceptarlo (cuando se le restituya). Pero, pasados diez días, no debe aceptarlo ni hacer que se entregue por coacción.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, as typical for Agni Purana legal-dharma sections)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Sets a time-limit rule (ten days) for return/acceptance in ownership or transaction disputes; guides courts on when to compel restitution and when to bar claims.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Daśāha (ten-day) limit for return and acceptance in property matters","lookup_keywords":["daśāha","svāmī","pratigraha","pratidāna","vyavahāra"],"quick_summary":"Within ten days, the owner should accept return and also return what is due; after ten days, neither acceptance nor compelled handover is to be enforced, creating a clear limitation period."}
Concept: Time-bound justice: rights and remedies are conditioned by timely action to prevent endless dispute.
Application: Implement limitation periods in adjudication; encourage prompt reporting/return to preserve evidence and social trust.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Law of property, debts, and transactions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A claimant returns an item to its owner within a marked ten-day period; a court clerk notes the day count; in a contrasting panel, a late claimant is turned away after ten days.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, two-register composition: upper register shows return within ten days with a palm-leaf calendar motif; lower register shows refusal after ten days; stylized court attendants and bold outlines","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, king and minister under a gold arch, a small calendar/ten marks motif, petitioner offering an object, second petitioner refused, gold embossing on throne and ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic layout with clear gestures and a visible ten-day tally on a scroll, calm courtroom palette, emphasis on procedural clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, meticulous ledger with date entries, owner receiving goods, later scene with officials denying enforcement, detailed coins and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सः+अन्तः → सोऽन्तः; अन्तः+दशाहात् → अन्तर्दशाहात्; तत्+स्वामी → तत्स्वामी; दद्यात्+च+एव → दद्याच्चैव; न+आदद्यात्+न+एव → नादद्यान्नैव
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (time limits and procedural rules in vyavahāra)
FAQs
It gives a vyavahāra (legal) rule: a ten-day window governs whether the owner should accept restoration/return; beyond that period, acceptance or compelled delivery is prohibited.
Alongside ritual and theology, the Agni Purana preserves practical civil-jurisprudence (vyavahāra)—time-bound rules for ownership, recovery, and enforcement—showing its wide coverage of governance and social order.
By discouraging belated acceptance or coercive recovery beyond the prescribed limit, it promotes restraint, non-harm, and orderly conduct—key dharmic principles that reduce conflict and karmic liability.