Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 18

Chapter 253 — व्यवहारकथनम्

The Account of Legal Procedure

Devanagari script

आधिः प्रणश्येत् द्विगुणे धने यदि न मोक्ष्यते काले कालकृतं नश्येत् फलभोग्यो न नश्यति

Transliteration

ādhiḥ praṇaśyet dviguṇe dhane yadi na mokṣyate kāle kālakṛtaṃ naśyet phalabhogyo na naśyati

Translation

ઋણ દ્વિગુણ થાય ત્યારે ગીરવે (આધિ) જપ્ત/નષ્ટ ગણાય છે; નિર્ધારિત કાળે મુક્ત ન કરાય તો કાળના કારણે તે નષ્ટ થાય છે. પરંતુ ફળભોગ્ય (ઉપજ ભોગવવા માટે) રાખેલી ગીરવે નષ્ટ થતી નથી.

Word by Word

• ādhiḥ: the pledge/mortgage
• ādhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (legal) pledge/mortgage/charge

• praṇaśyet: should perish/be forfeited
• praṇaśyet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√naś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dviguṇe: when (the amount is) double
• dviguṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (when it has become double)

• dhane: in the money/amount
• dhane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (if)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (not)

• mokṣyate: is redeemed/released
• mokṣyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (is released/redeemed)

• kāle: at the time (due time)
• kāle: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समये (at the proper time)

• kāla-kṛtam: (that which is) caused by time
• kāla-kṛtam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (√kṛ धातु + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (kālena kṛtam = caused by time)

• naśyet: should perish
• naśyet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• phala-bhogyaḥ: the one entitled to enjoy the fruits (usufructuary)
• phala-bhogyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + bhogya (√bhuj धातु + यत्, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (phalena bhogyaḥ = to be enjoyed as fruit/one who enjoys the fruit)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (not)

• naśyati: perishes/is lost
• naśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Agni (instructing Vasiṣṭha)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रणश्येत् → praṇaśyet; कालकृतं → kāla-kṛtam; रसश्च etc not in this verse.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Vasiṣṭha
• ādhi (pledge)
• phalabhogya (usufruct pledge)
• kāla (time)

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It imparts technical legal knowledge (vyavahāra-vidyā) on pledges: when a pawned security is forfeited (on the debt doubling or on failure to redeem in time) and the special exception for a usufructuary pledge (phalabhogya).

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

Beyond myth and worship, it codifies practical civil-law rules—loan security, redemption deadlines, and categories of pledge—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage of governance and jurisprudence alongside religious instruction.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

By prescribing fair, time-bound conduct in debts and pledges, it supports dharma in economic life—reducing exploitation and encouraging truthful, orderly transactions that align with righteous livelihood (dhārmika-vyavahāra).