Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 62
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
प्रसह्य घातिनश् चैव शूलमारोपयेन्नरान् उत्क्षेपकग्रन्थिभेदौ करसन्दंशहीनकौ
prasahya ghātinaś caiva śūlamāropayennarān utkṣepakagranthibhedau karasandaṃśahīnakau
Y a quienes cometen agresión violenta, tras ser apresados por la fuerza, debe empalárseles en la estaca (śūla). Asimismo, se prescriben los castigos llamados ‘utkṣepaka’ y ‘granthi-bheda’, y la pena de ser privado de las manos mediante tenazas.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, the Agni Purana’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dhanurveda","practical_application":"Penal code for violent offenders: coercive seizure and exemplary corporal/capital punishments (impalement; named mutilation penalties) as deterrence and state control.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Punishments for Violent Assault: Impalement and Mutilation Penalties","lookup_keywords":["prasahya (forcibly)","ghatin (violent assailant)","shula (impalement)","utksepaka","granthi-bheda"],"quick_summary":"Violent assailants are to be seized and punished with severe exemplary penalties such as impalement and specified mutilation punishments (including hand-removal by pincers), functioning as deterrent state coercion."}
Weapon Type: Shula (stake/impalement implement) as punitive instrument (not battlefield weapon here).
Concept: Protection of society may warrant harsh danda against violent harm-doers; punishment is framed as deterrence and removal of threat.
Application: In comparative legal history, classify penalties by purpose (deterrence/incapacitation) and by offence severity (violent assault).
Khanda Section: Dhanurveda / Raja-niti (Punishments and coercive measures)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"State guards forcibly seize a violent assailant; a grim punitive setting shows a stake (shula) and officials administering named penalties (symbolically indicated rather than graphic).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stern guards restraining a criminal; a tall stake shown as a symbolic emblem of punishment; officials with staffs; avoid gore, emphasize deterrent symbolism, dark reds and browns with strong outlines.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: royal justice scene with the shula depicted as an icon-like vertical element; gold-highlighted royal insignia; the condemned shown bound, punishment implied rather than explicit; ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: didactic panel listing punishments—utksepaka, granthi-bheda, hand-deprivation—illustrated with restrained symbolic motifs (pincers, bound hands, stake), fine lines and muted tones.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: guards capturing a violent offender in a bazaar edge; a distant punitive post shown; officials and onlookers; detailed textiles and architecture, minimal explicit violence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"stern","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शूलमारोपयेत् = शूलम् + आरोपयेत्; घातिनश् = घातिनः (before consonant); चैव = च + एव.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (danda for violent crimes; coercive measures)
FAQs
It imparts danda-vidhi (penal/judicial procedure): specific named punishments for violent offenders, including impalement (śūla) and other codified punitive acts (utkṣepaka, granthi-bheda), plus mutilation by instruments (sandaṃśa).
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana catalogs practical statecraft—criminal classification and penalties—showing it functions as a compendium of governance (rāja-dharma/danda-nīti) alongside ritual, arts, and other sciences.
In Purāṇic rāja-dharma, enforcing proportionate punishment is presented as the king’s dharma: it restrains adharma, protects society, and is treated as a duty that sustains order (dharma) and mitigates collective harm.