Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 8
Determination of Boundary Disputes and Related Matters (सीमाविवादादिनिर्णयः)
स्वामिने यो ऽनिवेद्यैव क्षेत्रे सेतुं प्रकल्पयेत् उत्पन्ने स्वामिनो भोगस्तदभावे महीपतेः
svāmine yo 'nivedyaiva kṣetre setuṃ prakalpayet utpanne svāmino bhogastadabhāve mahīpateḥ
માલિકને જાણ કર્યા વિના ખેતરમાં સેતુ (બંધ/સિંચાઈ કાર્ય) બનાવે—ઉપજ થાય ત્યારે ભોગાધિકાર માલિકનો; અને માલિક ન હોય તો રાજાનો થાય.
Lord Agni (instructing sage Vashistha in a rajadharma/vyavahara sequence)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Arthashastra","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Determining entitlement to produce from unauthorized irrigation works and clarifying royal rights in ownerless land.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Rights to Yield from Uninformed Construction of a Setu in a Field","lookup_keywords":["anivedya","setu-prakalpana","bhoga-adhikara","svamin","mahipati"],"quick_summary":"If someone builds an irrigation bund in a field without informing the owner, the resulting enjoyment/yield belongs to the owner. If the land has no owner, the yield belongs to the king."}
Concept: Primacy of svatva (ownership) and the king’s residual claim over anathabhumi (ownerless land).
Application: Require notice/permission for improvements; allocate benefits to rightful owner; treat ownerless yield as state revenue.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma & Vyavahara (Property law, irrigation works, and royal revenue)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: artha
Type: Agrarian territory
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A man constructs a small bund in a field without informing the proprietor; later, the harvest is weighed and assigned to the owner; in a second scene, an ownerless plot’s yield is taken into the royal granary.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural narrative: worker shaping a setu, absent owner indicated; later, owner receiving grain; alternate panel shows royal storehouse receiving produce from ownerless land; stylized water channels.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting of a king’s granary and an agrarian scene with gold detailing on royal insignia; symbolic transfer of grain sacks to owner/king according to rule.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore instructional scene with clear sequencing: ‘without informing’ step, ‘produce arises’ step, ‘bhoga to owner’ step, ‘if no owner then to king’; soft palette, fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature with surveyors and scribes recording title; harvest distribution scene with scales; royal official collecting revenue from an ownerless plot, detailed textiles and landscape."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यो ऽनिवेद्यैव → यः + अनिवेद्य + एव; भोगस्तदभावे → भोगः + तत्-अभावे.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 256 (setu and land-rights)
FAQs
It gives a practical vyavahara (legal) rule: building an irrigation bund (setu) on someone’s land without notice does not transfer the right to the resulting produce; the yield remains the owner’s, and if ownerless it accrues to the king.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied governance—land, waterworks, and revenue principles—showing how dharma texts also functioned as manuals for agrarian administration and property disputes.
It reinforces dharmic restraint: beneficial public works must still respect rightful ownership and social order; acting without consent invites adharma, while rightful allocation of benefits supports ethical governance.