Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 9
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
प्रतिपन्नं स्त्रिया देयं पत्या वा सह यत् कृतं स्वयं कृतं वा यदृणं नान्यस्त्री दातुमर्हति
pratipannaṃ striyā deyaṃ patyā vā saha yat kṛtaṃ svayaṃ kṛtaṃ vā yadṛṇaṃ nānyastrī dātumarhati
La dette contractée en bonne et due forme doit être acquittée par la femme, qu’elle l’ait contractée avec son époux ou par elle-même. Aucune autre femme n’est en droit (ni tenue) de la payer.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purāṇa’s legal/dharma section)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Rules for allocating liability for repayment of debts contracted by a woman, clarifying when the obligation is personal versus jointly undertaken with the husband.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Strī-ṛṇa-pratipatti (Woman’s liability for duly undertaken debt)","lookup_keywords":["strī-ṛṇa","pratipanna","pati-saha-kṛta","svayaṃ-kṛta","ṛṇa-dāna"],"quick_summary":"A duly undertaken debt must be repaid by the woman if she contracted it herself or jointly with her husband; unrelated women are neither entitled nor liable to pay it."}
Concept: Ṛṇa-dharma (ethical-legal obligation) and locus of liability based on agency (svayaṃ-kṛta) and joint undertaking (saha-kṛta).
Application: In adjudication, identify the contracting party and the nature of consent/undertaking before assigning repayment duty.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: debts, liability, and legal competence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: dharmya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal court scene where a woman acknowledges a debt document; the scribe reads terms showing it was contracted by her alone or jointly with her husband; the judge indicates that no other woman is liable.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat warm palette, stylized royal sabhā with dharmāsana, a woman debtor holding palm-leaf contract, husband beside her, court scribe and witnesses, clear hand gestures of legal decision","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-leaf accents on throne and ornaments, king-judge seated with halo-like arch, woman presenting debt token, husband present, ornate pillars, emphasis on dharma and authority","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate lines and soft colors, instructional court tableau with labeled roles (judge, scribe, debtor), palm-leaf manuscript and seal, calm didactic mood","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtroom interior, patterned carpets, officials with registers, woman debtor and husband, judge pointing to written bond, fine facial expressions and textiles"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nān yastrī → na anyā strī; dātumarhati → dātum arhati.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (Vyavahāra: ṛṇa, sākṣya, pratibhū)
FAQs
This verse imparts vyavahāra-vidyā (juridical procedure): it defines who bears repayment responsibility for a debt—specifically, the contracting woman herself, whether the debt was joint with her husband or independently incurred.
Beyond theology and ritual, the Agni Purāṇa compiles civil-law norms (ṛṇa, liability, competence to pay). This verse exemplifies its coverage of practical governance and dispute-resolution principles alongside spiritual topics.
By insisting that obligations are discharged by the one who undertook them, the verse reinforces dharma as moral accountability—repayment of rightly incurred debt is presented as a duty that preserves social order and personal integrity.