Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 16
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
प्रतिभूर्दापितो यत्र प्रकाशं धनिने धनम् द्विगुणं प्रतिदातव्यमृणिकैस्तस्य तद्भवेत्
pratibhūrdāpito yatra prakāśaṃ dhanine dhanam dviguṇaṃ pratidātavyamṛṇikaistasya tadbhavet
Cuando un fiador (pratibhū) ha sido compelido a pagar al acreedor la deuda de manera pública y debidamente establecida, el deudor debe reembolsar al fiador esa suma por duplicado; tal obligación recae, por tanto, sobre el deudor.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vasiṣṭha in dharma and legal procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"If a surety is compelled to pay publicly/legally, the debtor must reimburse the surety with a punitive multiplier (double), incentivizing timely repayment and protecting guarantors.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Debtor’s double repayment to surety after compelled public payment","lookup_keywords":["pratibhū","dviguṇa","public payment","ṛṇika","reimbursement"],"quick_summary":"When a surety has been forced to pay the creditor in an established/public manner, the debtor must repay the surety twice that amount. The burden of this enhanced liability rests on the debtor."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as dharma-protection: punitive multipliers ensure social trust in suretyship and discourage default.
Application: Courts can order double reimbursement to the surety when payment occurred under compulsion and public validation, functioning like damages plus penalty.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra—legal procedure, debts, suretyship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a public marketplace/court square, the surety pays the creditor before witnesses and a herald; later the judge orders the debtor to repay the surety double, shown by two equal coin piles being transferred.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, public assembly with witnesses, herald holding staff, surety handing coins to creditor, judge indicating 'double' with two stacked coin heaps, bold lines and ceremonial posture","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, gold accents on coin heaps and court throne, two identical money trays signifying dviguṇa, debtor kneeling in compliance, rich ornamentation and frontal symmetry","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional split-scene: left—public payment with witnesses; right—double repayment to surety, precise depiction of two coin piles, calm didactic tone","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, bustling bazaar-court hybrid, scribe recording, witnesses in a semicircle, debtor repaying double with two purses, refined detailing and perspective"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रतिदातव्यमृणिकैः → प्रतिदातव्यं ऋणिकैः; तद्भवेत् → तत् भवेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (ṛṇa, pratibhū, dviguṇa rules)
FAQs
It gives a technical rule of vyavahāra (legal procedure): if a guarantor is forced to pay the creditor publicly/officially, the debtor must reimburse the guarantor at double the amount.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves Dharmaśāstra-style civil law—covering contracts, loans, guarantors, and enforcement—showing its wide scope across governance and jurisprudence.
It frames debt default as a moral fault: the debtor bears heavier responsibility (double repayment) for shifting the burden onto a surety, reinforcing accountability and fairness as dharma.