Agni Purana — Vyavahara, Shloka 69
वाक्पारुष्यादिप्रकरणम्
The Topic of Verbal Abuse and Related Offences
प्रातिलोम्ये बधः पुंसां नार्याः कर्णावकर्तनम् नीवीस्तनप्रावरणनाभिकेशावमर्दनम्
prātilomye badhaḥ puṃsāṃ nāryāḥ karṇāvakartanam nīvīstanaprāvaraṇanābhikeśāvamardanam
પ્રાતિલોમ (વિપરીત વર્ણ) સંબંધમાં પુરુષો માટે વધદંડ; સ્ત્રીઓ માટે કાન કાપવા, તેમજ અપમાનદંડ—કમરવસ્ત્ર ઉતારવું, સ્તનાવરણ દૂર કરવું, અને નાભિ તથા વાળને અપવિત્ર/વિકૃત કરવું.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Codifies maximum punitive measures for prātilomya unions, including capital punishment and public shaming/mutilation, reflecting deterrence-based governance.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Prātilomya-daṇḍa—Execution and humiliating mutilations","lookup_keywords":["prātilomya","vadha","karṇāvakartana","nīvī-apaharaṇa","keśāvamardana"],"quick_summary":"For prātilomya, the text prescribes death for men and severe corporal plus public-humiliation penalties for women (ear-cutting, stripping/defilement). It functions as a deterrent code within rājadharma."}
Concept: Daṇḍa as deterrence: maintaining varṇa-āśrama order through exemplary punishment and public dishonor.
Application: For historical/legal study: shows how certain unions were criminalized and punished; for governance theory: illustrates ‘bhaya’ (fear) as a tool of social regulation.
Khanda Section: Rājadharma & Vyavahāra (Dharmaśāstra / Criminal Law and Punishments)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A stern royal tribunal pronouncing prātilomya punishment: execution scene implied in the background; in the foreground, symbolic depiction of ear-cutting and public shaming (disrobing/defilement) rendered as emblematic rather than graphic.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, dramatic rājā with raised hand of judgment, attendants with legal palm-leaf records, symbolic icons for ‘vadha’ and ‘karṇa-ccheda’ (not gory), strong reds/ochres, stylized figures, moralizing composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, king as dharma-rājā with gold work, court officials, a small symbolic scaffold/standard for capital penalty, another vignette with a woman shown with covered face and a marked ear motif indicating punishment, ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, didactic panel layout: (1) prātilomya label, (2) male punishment icon (sword/standard), (3) female humiliation icons (ear mark, loosened garment) kept symbolic, fine lines and muted palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed courtroom with qalam-style recording, execution indicated in distant courtyard, foreground shows officials enforcing sentence with restrained depiction, architectural depth, calligraphy cartouches naming penalties."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कर्णावकर्तनम् = कर्णौ + अवकर्तनम्; नीवीस्तनप्रावरणनाभिकेशावमर्दनम् = नीवी + स्तन + प्रावरण + नाभि + केश + अवमर्दनम् (समाहार-द्वन्द्व-समास)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 257 (sections on saṅkara, anuloma/prātiloma, and graded daṇḍa)
FAQs
It transmits daṇḍanīti (penal jurisprudence) within rājadharma, specifying graded legal punishments prescribed for prātilomya transgressions.
Beyond theology, the Agni Purana preserves applied governance material—criminal sanctions, social-regulatory norms, and statecraft—showing its dharmaśāstra-like coverage alongside ritual and cosmology.
The passage frames prātilomya as a grave adharma affecting social and moral order; punishment is presented as a means of restoring dharma and curbing karmically harmful conduct.