Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 10
Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्
The Account of Legal Procedure
पितरि प्रोषिते प्रेते व्यसाभिप्लुते ऽथ वा पुत्रपौत्रैर् ऋणन्देयं निह्नवे साक्षिभावितम्
pitari proṣite prete vyasābhiplute 'tha vā putrapautrair ṛṇandeyaṃ nihnave sākṣibhāvitam
પિતા પરદેશ/અનુપસ્થિત હોય, અથવા મૃત્યુ પામ્યો હોય, અથવા આપત્તિથી દબાઈ ગયો હોય, ત્યારે ઋણ પુત્ર અને પૌત્રે ચૂકવવું; અને ઇનકાર થાય તો સાક્ષીઓ દ્વારા તે સ્થાપિત કરવું.
Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha in dharma and legal procedure)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for succession-based debt repayment and evidentiary procedure when the principal debtor (father) is absent, deceased, or incapacitated; establishes witness-proof on denial.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Pituḥ proṣita-preta-vyasana-sthiti: putra-pautra-ṛṇa-dāna & sākṣi-pramāṇa","lookup_keywords":["pitr-ṛṇa","putra-pautra","proṣita","vyasana","sākṣi"],"quick_summary":"If the father is away, dead, or calamity-struck, the son/grandson must discharge the debt; if denied, the claim is proved through witnesses."}
Concept: Continuity of obligation (ṛṇa) across generations and the primacy of pramāṇa (witness testimony) in vyavahāra.
Application: Courts should (1) identify successor-liable heirs when the debtor is unavailable, and (2) require witness testimony when the debt is denied.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: civil law, debts, evidence)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A creditor petitions the court; the father is shown absent/deceased; the son and grandson stand as responsible heirs; witnesses step forward to attest when denial occurs.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, narrative split-panel: left shows father traveling/absent or funeral rites; right shows court with son and grandson before judge, witnesses raising hands in oath-like gesture, palm-leaf records","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold highlights, central dharmāsana, son and grandson offering repayment, witnesses behind with sacred thread and scrolls, ornate court pillars","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean didactic composition: judge, claimant, heirs, and a row of witnesses; emphasis on documentation and testimony, soft shading","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed legal assembly, heirs in front, witnesses presenting statements, clerk writing in register, subtle depiction of father’s absence via empty seat or funeral vignette"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: vyasābhiplute 'tha → vyasanābhiplute atha; putrapautrair → putra-pautraiḥ; ṛṇandeyaṃ → ṛṇam deyaṃ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 253 (sākṣi-lakṣaṇa and ṛṇa-vyavahāra context)
FAQs
It gives a rule of civil law: if the father cannot discharge a debt due to absence, death, or calamity, the obligation falls on son/grandson, and disputes are resolved through witness-based proof.
Beyond theology, it preserves practical dharmaśāstra material—inheritance-linked debt liability and evidentiary procedure—showing the text’s coverage of governance and jurisprudence.
Fulfilling legitimate debts is treated as dharma; clearing a family obligation prevents blame and demerit associated with default and supports social order through truthful, witness-verified conduct.