Agni Purana — Raja-dharma, Shloka 15
Chapter 226 — राजधर्माः
Rājadharma: Royal Duties and Daṇḍanīti
आददद्धि ददच्चैव राज्ञा दण्ड्यः शतानि षट् वरे दोषानविख्याप्य यः कन्यां वरयेदिह
ādadaddhi dadaccaiva rājñā daṇḍyaḥ śatāni ṣaṭ vare doṣānavikhyāpya yaḥ kanyāṃ varayediha
Celui qui, sans divulguer les défauts de l’époux, demande ici la main d’une jeune fille—qu’il reçoive des biens ou qu’il en donne également—sera puni par le roi d’une amende de six cents (paṇa).
Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration style)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Marriage-contract regulation: mandates disclosure of defects and penalizes fraudulent concealment in matchmaking, especially where gifts/wealth exchange occurs.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Penalty for concealing a groom’s defects in proposing marriage","lookup_keywords":["vara-doṣa","kanyā-varaṇa","anavikhyāpya","śatāni ṣaṭ","rāja-daṇḍa"],"quick_summary":"A proposer who seeks a maiden’s hand while hiding the groom’s defects—whether taking or giving property—incurs a royal fine of six hundred paṇas, protecting informed consent in marriage."}
Concept: Satya (truthfulness) as social foundation; informed consent and non-deception in saṃskāras.
Application: Require disclosure of material defects in marital negotiations; impose deterrent fines for fraud.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma (Civil & Criminal Law; Marriage Regulations)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A marriage negotiation in a royal court: elders present a groom; an official questions undisclosed defects; coins (paṇas) are counted as a fine; the maiden’s family stands protected by the king’s order.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, ceremonial marriage setting with court oversight, elders in traditional attire, king seated with daṇḍa emblem, fine coins depicted as stylized gold circles, expressive faces showing censure","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, ornate wedding pavilion and royal dais, gold-leaf highlights on jewelry and coin piles, minister reading a decree about disclosure, symmetrical composition","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clear narrative: proposal, questioning, and fine assessment; delicate lines, subdued colors, emphasis on legal instruction rather than romance","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed negotiation scene with carpets and screens, scribe recording defects, treasurer counting coins, nuanced expressions of embarrassment and authority"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आददत्+हि → आददद्धि; ददत्+च+एव → ददच्चैव; दोषान्+अविख्याप्य → दोषानविख्याप्य
Related Themes: Agni Purana 226 (marriage-related vyavahāra rules in adjacent verses)
FAQs
It gives a legal rule in Rajadharma: concealing the groom’s disqualifying defects while arranging a marriage proposal is treated as an offense punishable by a fixed royal fine (six hundred).
Beyond ritual and theology, the Agni Purana also preserves practical jurisprudence—here, a civil/marriage-law norm about fraud and mandatory disclosure, showing its coverage of governance and social regulation.
By condemning concealment and enforcing truthful disclosure in marriage arrangements, the verse frames honesty as dharma; violating it incurs both worldly punishment (royal fine) and negative karmic consequence for deceit.