Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 7
Chapter 255: दायविभागकथनम्
On the Division of Inheritance
भूर्यापिता महोपात्ता निबन्धो द्रव्यमेव वा तत्र स्यात् सदृशं स्वाम्यं पितुः पुत्रस्य चोभयोः
bhūryāpitā mahopāttā nibandho dravyameva vā tatra syāt sadṛśaṃ svāmyaṃ pituḥ putrasya cobhayoḥ
પિતાએ પ્રાપ્ત કરેલી જમીન, મહા પરિશ્રમથી ઉપાર્જિત ધન, નિબંધ (બંધક/બાધ્યતા) હેઠળની મિલકત અથવા ચલ ધન—આ બધાં પર પિતા અને પુત્ર બંનેનો સ્વામ્યાધિકાર સમાન ગણાય છે।
Lord Agni (teaching the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purana’s dharma-legal discourse)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Determining co-ownership and control rights over different classes of property (immovable, self-acquired, encumbered, movable) in family disputes and partition suits.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Pitr-putra sadrisha-svamitva (Comparable father–son ownership over certain property)","lookup_keywords":["svamitva","pitr-putra","bhumi","nibandha","dravyam"],"quick_summary":"For land acquired by the father, wealth gained by great effort, property under obligation (nibandha), and movable wealth, father and son are stated to have comparable ownership-rights—useful for deciding management and division claims."}
Concept: Balanced proprietary entitlement within the joint family; recognition of shared claims over specified property classes.
Application: Use as a norm for adjudicating whether father alone may alienate/encumber property or whether the son’s concurrent right must be protected.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Dharmaśāstra: inheritance and property law)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: dharmya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A formal family-court or sabha scene: father and adult son seated with a scribe and judge, with symbols of land (field map), movable wealth (coins), and a document labeled nibandha (bond/encumbrance).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette, stylized sabha with a dharmadhikari judge, father and son presenting palm-leaf documents, field boundary markers and coin bags, dignified calm expressions, traditional ornaments.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style with gold leaf highlights, a royal court of dharma, father and son shown symmetrically with property symbols (land deed, bond scroll, treasure), ornate pillars and arch, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, instructional legal tableau: labeled objects (bhumi, dravya, nibandha), judge explaining shared ownership, delicate linework, soft shading, manuscript-like clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed court scene with qazi-like judge and Hindu litigants, meticulous textiles, a map of fields, account books, bond deed, restrained palette, emphasis on documentary evidence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bhūryāpitā = bhūri + āpitā; mahopāttā = mahā + upāttā; dravyameva = dravyam + eva; cobhayoḥ = ca + ubhayoḥ.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 255 (Vyavahara: dayabhaga/vibhaga topics)
FAQs
It conveys legal-technical knowledge (vyavahāra-vidyā): the rule that certain categories of property—land, hard-earned acquisitions, encumbered holdings (nibandha), and wealth—can carry comparable proprietary claims for both father and son.
It shows the Agni Purana functioning as a Dharmaśāstra-style manual by preserving detailed civil-law concepts (ownership, acquisition types, and encumbrances), alongside its better-known ritual, cosmological, and devotional materials.
By defining fair ownership and preventing unjust appropriation within the family, it supports dharma in household life—reducing conflict and adharma, and promoting righteous conduct that is held to yield auspicious karmic outcomes.