Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 7
Rāja-dharma (राजधर्माः) — Protection of the Heir, Discipline, Counsel, and the Seven Limbs of the State
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रे दानमेव च अर्थेषु दूषणं प्रोक्तमसत्कर्मप्रवर्तनं
adeśakāle yaddānamapātre dānameva ca artheṣu dūṣaṇaṃ proktamasatkarmapravartanaṃ
Un don fait en un lieu et à un moment inappropriés, et de même un don accordé à un bénéficiaire indigne, est déclaré une souillure des richesses et devient une incitation à l’action injuste.
Lord Agni (in instruction to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Charity governance: ensure donations are timely, context-appropriate, and given to worthy recipients; otherwise wealth becomes tainted and fuels further wrongdoing.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Dāna-doṣa: adeśa-kāla-dāna and apātra-dāna as artha-dūṣaṇa","lookup_keywords":["dāna","adeśa-kāla","apātra","artha-dūṣaṇa","asatkarma"],"quick_summary":"Gifts given at the wrong place/time or to unworthy recipients blemish one’s wealth and encourage unrighteous conduct; proper dāna requires deśa-kāla-pātra discernment."}
Concept: Deśa-kāla-pātra is integral to dāna; misdirected charity becomes artha-doṣa and promotes adharma.
Application: Before giving: verify recipient integrity/need, choose appropriate occasion and venue, and align gift type with dharmic outcomes (education, relief, ritual duty).
Khanda Section: Dharma-shastra / Dana-dharma (Ethics of Charity and Proper Giving)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor pauses to assess time, place, and recipient: refusing an unworthy petitioner while giving appropriately to a deserving person (scholar/poor/temple service) in the right setting.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, donor with offering tray, two recipients contrasted: unworthy figure turned away, worthy humble recipient accepted, background shows auspicious time marker (lamp, ritual setting), bold colors and patterned border","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, donor presenting coins/cloth to a worthy recipient near a temple mandapa, gold-leaf highlighting the act of proper dāna, an unworthy figure in shadow at the edge","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic ‘decision’ scene: three labels deśa-kāla-pātra, donor consulting an elder, then giving to a worthy recipient, clean lines and soft colors","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, marketplace/charity scene: patron with attendants, careful selection of recipient, refusal gesture to a rogue, acceptance to a needy family or scholar, detailed urban backdrop"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Dhanyasi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: adeśakāle = a-deśa-kāle; yaddānamapātre = yat + dānam + apātre; dānameva = dānam + eva; proktamasatkarmapravartanam = proktam + asat-karma-pravartanam.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Dāna-dharma sections on pātra/apātra, deśa-kāla, and phala of dāna
FAQs
It gives a practical rule of dāna-vidhi: charity must be timed and situated appropriately (deśa-kāla) and offered to a worthy recipient (pātra); otherwise it is treated as a doṣa rather than a merit-producing act.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana functions as a compendium of applied dharma: it codifies social-ethical guidelines (like standards for charity) that intersect with governance, household conduct, and karmic theory.
Misplaced charity is said to taint one’s wealth and can indirectly fuel adharmic outcomes; properly directed giving preserves purity of resources and supports merit (puṇya) rather than negative karmic momentum.